The Nuclear File Takes Center Stage.. Washington and Tehran Refuse to Make Concessions

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U.S. and Iranian officials held separate talks with intermediaries on Monday as part of new efforts to end the war that erupted seven months ago.

However, both sides showed no inclination to make specific concessions that could lead to an understanding.

Tehran has not given intermediaries significant indications that it is willing to negotiate over its nuclear program, which is currently demanded by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump.

Middle Eastern government officials who regularly communicate with Tehran have clarified that Iranian leaders are confident in their ability to withstand a prolonged U.S. blockade or renewed American bombing campaigns.

These officials added that influence in Iran is now concentrated in the hands of the Revolutionary Guard, a quasi-military economic force long known for adopting a hardline stance that rejects concessions or compromises with the West, according to the Wall Street Journal.

For its part, the Trump administration believes there is no longer a need to negotiate over the Strait of Hormuz or to make concessions regarding it, with "American forces" controlling this vital corridor for oil and gas flows.

Data from Kepler showed yesterday, Monday, that crude oil exports from major producing countries in the Middle East rebounded in September to reach 16.328 million barrels per day, the highest level since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran last February. Preliminary data revealed that this rebound followed a recovery in exports through the Strait of Hormuz, which was expected to reach about 9.719 million barrels per day this month.

Meanwhile, Trump indicated that weakening Iran's nuclear capabilities is one of his goals in this war.

For its part, Iran continues to deny seeking to possess nuclear weapons, but it asserts its right to develop nuclear technology for peaceful purposes as a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

The American president denied on Tuesday that he offered Iran a reduction in sanctions and the release of frozen funds in exchange for concessions on the nuclear file. He stated in a post on his Truth Social account: "Axios just published a report claiming that I offered Iran a reduction in sanctions and the release of frozen funds. This is not true; I did not offer them anything at all!"

This came after American officials, who preferred to remain anonymous, revealed that Trump showed "willingness to grant Tehran a reduction in sanctions and the release of part of its frozen assets in exchange for tangible Iranian steps regarding its nuclear program," according to Axios.

It is worth mentioning that Tehran proposed last week a plan to halt hostilities and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world's oil and gas production passed before the war.

Since the war began in late February, Iran has practically closed the strait, prompting Washington to impose a blockade on its ports.

Iran demands, as a precondition for reopening the strait, a cessation of hostilities on all fronts for seven days, including in Lebanon, the release of its frozen assets, the lifting of sanctions imposed on Iranian oil, and the end of the American maritime blockade on its ports. However, Trump rejected this proposal last Saturday.

Since the beginning of the war in the Middle East, fuel prices and other products in the United States have risen sharply, at a time when opinion polls show a significant decline in Trump's popularity.

At the same time, the Republican Party fears losing the majority in Congress during the midterm elections scheduled for November.