US Wants in-Person Meetings With Iran on Prisoner Releases

US also demands extension of arms embargo against Iran

After a recent successful prisoner exchange, the Trump Administration is pushing an in-person meeting between diplomats from the US and Iran, with an eye toward discussing further prisoner releases on each side.

Iranian officials have yet to respond, but after the last exchange they suggested there was an opening for more. Iranian officials, however, suggested they didn’t see the need for a lot of logistics, and that they should just work out releasing people on both sides.

And because it’s the US State Department talking about Iran, they also added that they really want to extend a UN arms embargo against Iran indefinitely. The embargo is scheduled to expire in October, and Russia has already said they would block any extension.

That the US even mentioned this is puzzling, because it’s clearly contrary to the interest of direct talks with Iran, and the extension clearly isn’t going to happen. Bringing it up only worsens the diplomatic situation.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.