Former U.S. officials say U.S.-Iran talks have collapsed due to Israel

Mars Finance News, April 13 — According to CCTV International News, former Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent posted late on April 12 local time, stating that negotiations between the U.S. and Iran could have gone smoothly, but the demand for “zero enrichment” caused the talks to break down. He called for sticking to the U.S. stance rather than Israel’s, in an effort to turn the situation around within the remaining 9-day ceasefire window. Kent said that the U.S. government’s red line has never been “zero enrichment,” but rather “Iran not possessing nuclear weapons,” and Iran agrees with this. Since 2003, Iran has never sought to develop or acquire nuclear weapons, but Iran needs to retain uranium enrichment capabilities, making U.S.-Iran negotiations feasible. Kent stated that the current priority is to constrain Israel, reach an agreement, and open the Strait of Hormuz.