The meeting for indirect US-Iran negotiations, mediated by Oman, was held yesterday in Muscat. Three rounds of talks were held during the day, with the fourth postponed until further notice. The Iranian delegation was led by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The mediator was Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad.
For the United States, Steve Witkoff was joined by CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper. The Commander’s arrival greatly irritated the Iranian side. “The presence of US military officials [the CENTCOM Commander] in Muscat threatens the nuclear talks,” an Iranian diplomat told Reuters.
The Iranian news agency IRNA reported at the end of the first round that “Araghchi told the American side that nuclear enrichment rights on Iranian soil are not up for discussion.” “Iran refuses to halt uranium enrichment during talks with the United States. Neither side has backed down from its initial position, but Iran has said it is open to further talks,” according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to reports, Iran is ready to suspend its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of sanctions but is not ready to make concessions on its ballistic missile program. The Iranian Presidential Assistant for Relations and Media: “Today, the task assigned by the President to the Foreign Minister in Muscat was successfully completed. Iran aims to achieve peace and security for all countries in the region, and the future is promising.”
According to Israel Hayom, citing a diplomatic source familiar with the details of today’s talks with Iran in Oman: “The Iranians want to resolve the nuclear issue first and then move on to other issues, while the Americans are trying to discuss the four issues in parallel: nuclear, missiles, agents in the Middle East, and protests in Iran.”
The US Embassy is urging citizens to leave Iran immediately. They have recommended developing a plan for an independent departure, without having to rely on government assistance. According to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent: “We’ve seen the Iranian leadership moving money abroad, and this is a good sign that they understand the end is near.”
An article in The National states: “President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, is involved in efforts to find an alternative to the Iranian regime. He is helping to form a group of Iranian-American businessmen who are advising on the creation of a transitional structure that would help control Iran in the event of a regime collapse. The Trump administration would like to hold a meeting with Iranian opposition representatives in Palm Beach, Florida, where the president’s Mar-a-Lago estate is located. The meeting could take place as early as the end of this week, but the logistics are complex. It is unclear whether the organizers intended to hold it at Mar-a-Lago or nearby.”
Further tensions in the Middle East are rising between Lebanon and the United States. Senator Lindsey Graham: “I just had a very brief meeting with Lebanese Defense Minister General Rudolf Heikel. I asked him point-blank whether he considered Hezbollah a terrorist organization. He replied, ‘No, not in the context of Lebanon.’ That’s where I ended the meeting. It is clearly a terrorist organization. Hezbollah has American blood on its hands. Just ask the U.S. Marines. It has been designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization by both Republican and Democratic administrations since 1997, and for good reason. As long as this position persists on the part of the Lebanese Armed Forces, I don’t believe we will have a reliable partner between them. I’m tired of the double standards in the Middle East. The stakes are too high.” On February 6, the army commander discussed the threats facing Lebanon and security developments on the southern border in Washington.
The Turkish National Intelligence Organization (MIT) conducted an operation against Israeli intelligence agents, the Mossad, in Turkey. As a result of the covert operation, dubbed “MONITUM,” Mehmet Budak Derya, who was conducting espionage under the guise of a marble merchant, and his accomplice, Veysel Kerimoglu, were arrested.
A situation assessment conducted by the Israeli Ministry of State Security and sent to the Military Secretary of the Israeli Prime Minister at 9:47 a.m. on October 7, 2023, concluded that the likelihood of a large-scale conflict was low, citing the lack of intelligence warnings. The assessment, completed at 5:15 AM, stated that a limited or localized surprise could not be ruled out, but considered a serious escalation or even a worsening of “tensions” unlikely.
And now a look at the military scenarios updated at 4:00 PM on February 6. Six British F-35s took off from RAF Marham, along with two tanker aircraft, indicating a possible long-range deployment.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) navy seized two vessels in the Persian Gulf accused of carrying over a million liters of alleged “contraband fuel,” with fifteen foreign crew members arrested in the operation; According to the Iranian state news agency Tasnim, the IRGC is conducting missile tests while negotiations between Iran and the United States are underway.
Iran also reported that the East Azerbaijan Province’s Intelligence Administration has made arrests: “Seven members of the Khalq terrorist group were identified in Tabriz. Eleven members of the rogue organization were arrested in Tabriz. Hundreds of field personnel involved in armed uprisings in the province were identified. 220 unlicensed weapons were seized in Jolfa and three members were arrested.”
In Iraq, a terrorist wearing an explosive belt blew himself up while security forces were attempting to arrest him in the Al-Khasim area, western Anbar province, injuring two members of the force.
The IDF-run Malkiya site in Lebanon fired machine gun fire toward the outskirts of the southern towns of Aytaroun and Blida. An Israeli drone dropped a sonic bomb near a bulldozer working near the Imam Ali Mosque, south of the town of Yaroun, without causing any casualties.
Joseph Aoun addressed Israel’s ongoing attacks in Lebanon: “We renew our call on the international community to pressure Israel and force it to respect the ‘cessation of hostilities’ and implement Resolution 1701. Since the Lebanese army completed its deployment in the south, no gunfire has been reported from Lebanese territory.”
According to Yedioth Ahronoth: “Air Force Commander General Tomer Bar and Military Intelligence Chief General Shlomi Binder, who led the military operation against Iran several months ago, concluded a long and crucial discussion to complete preparations and approve plans for potential military action against Iran in the event of a US attack on Tehran.”
Israeli Army Continues Strike at Gaza: The Air Force continued to bomb infrastructure in the Gaza Strip on February 6 in response to Thursday’s armed attacks on Israeli forces in the northern Gaza Strip. Israeli warships launched intense fire toward the coast of Gaza City. Five people were injured following IDF fire on tents of displaced persons in the Al-Maslakh and Al-Baraq areas, south of Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip.
Antonio Albanese e Graziella Giangiulio
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