Secret negotiations between Iran and the United States have been disrupted by the unexpected death of Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi.
The discussions, held in Oman, faced an immediate halt following the helicopter crash on Sunday that claimed the lives of several top Iranian officials, the Middle East Eye reported citing several sources.
Brett McGurk, President Joe Biden's senior Middle East adviser, and Ali Bagheri Kani, Iran’s lead negotiator, had been making progress in the first talks since January.
The discussions focused on several critical issues, including a mutual interest in altering the Israeli government, ending the Israeli military actions in Gaza, and preventing the conflict from spreading further in the Middle East.
Analysts close to the Iranian regime suggested the talks might have also touched on a potential ceasefire between the US and Iran’s allies.
With the sudden leadership vacuum in Tehran, and with Iran poised to conduct presidential elections on June 28, the future of the high-stakes negotiations remains uncertain. The United States is also approaching its presidential elections in November, adding to the diplomatic standstill.
