Muscat | Pakistan

After weeks of uncertainty, indirect talks between Iran and the United States are set to open tomorrow in Oman’s capital, Muscat. The very survival of the process is notable, even though expectations of a breakthrough remain low. The road to these talks has been uneven; plans were repeatedly disrupted by military incidents, disputes on the venue and disagreements over the scope of engagement. At one point, Washington was said to have walked away altogether. Each time, the process was revived. Not because of confidence, but because the alternatives appeared to be far riskier. From what we know so far, Washington’s attempts to expand the agenda was one of the straws that nearly broke the camel’s back, so to speak. While Iran had agreed to discuss its nuclear programme – given its stance that it isn’t interested in nuclear weapons – the US instead insisted on putting ballistic missiles, regional proxies and internal governance on the table. For Tehran, this confirmed long-held suspicions that diplomacy was being...