Archive: U.S. State Dept. / public domain (crop).
Washington is keeping its diplomatic channels with Iran active while preparing for the possibility that negotiations fail, US Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Donald Blome said Sunday at the Manama Dialogue in Bahrain.
Blome’s remarks, reported by The Associated Press, set out two tracks: continued contact with Tehran and readiness for a different course. He did not announce a new agreement or a decision to launch military action.
The regional and economic risks were central to his message. Blome said the United States could not let Iran hold the region and global economy hostage. The remarks came as Iranian representatives continued negotiations through Qatari mediators, the subject of Sunday’s Doha talks.
Diplomacy also remains the preferred outcome for the United Arab Emirates. AFP reported from the conference that Anwar Gargash, an adviser to the Emirati president, said his country hoped for a diplomatic breakthrough but was preparing for the worst.
Neither official’s comments settle whether talks will produce a deal. They show that governments in the region are still planning around both possibilities: an agreement that reduces the risk of renewed fighting, or another confrontation with consequences for energy supplies and trade.
JBizNews Desk | Manama
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