00:00So we're hearing two different things.
00:02We're hearing the White House quite a positive narrative
00:05on these talks that are happening, but Iran denying them.
00:08Well, look, I guess you now have to question
00:11who do you actually trust or who do you believe here?
00:13And in my honest opinion, the answer is right now,
00:16neither side, at face value at least,
00:18because both are saying this,
00:20but to very, very different audiences.
00:22So from the US's point of view, you've got President Trump.
00:25He's trying to project this momentum
00:26that we're hearing all about.
00:27And even when he's giving those speeches on Air Force One,
00:30where the idea that negotiations are in progress,
00:32you know, Iran is softening somewhat,
00:34a deal could be very, very close.
00:36So that's, I guess, politically very important.
00:38And domestically, internationally,
00:40he needs it to frame the US
00:41as being in control of the situation,
00:43which is what this administration loves to do,
00:45look like they know exactly what's going on
00:47and that they're on top of this.
00:49So if you look at it from Iran's response
00:50and their perspective,
00:51it's almost completely the opposite.
00:53They've said publicly, at least,
00:55they've rejected proposals.
00:56They've said they're unrealistic.
00:58They've said, look,
00:58we are not in direct talks right now,
01:01only direct messages that are through intermediaries.
01:04And they say they don't actually want to be seen
01:06as conceding in negotiations under pressure
01:09because that's not how Iran operates.
01:11Now, particularly given the internal political dynamics
01:14that there are with Iran as well.
01:16So the idea is that new regime that we're hearing about,
01:20where that makes it even more unclear, in my opinion.
01:23Yes, we know there's new leadership.
01:24There's been a transition after Ali Khamenei.
01:26But structurally speaking,
01:29the Iran that was there when this war started
01:31hasn't actually fundamentally changed.
01:33So not an obvious, like, this is new,
01:35this is more reasonable.
01:36That's not what we're hearing.
01:38The group is actually,
01:38whether it's more of a narrative
01:40that's been pushed by Washington
01:41rather than a reflection of reality on the ground.
01:44And then, of course, we're hearing from the third party
01:46who's here as well, which is Netanyahu.
01:48And his stance, from a military point of view,
01:50says that it's pressure
01:50that's going to create this leverage for any deal.
01:53And then diplomacy will be afterwards.
01:55So what we're seeing is diplomacy is happening.
01:57Yes, it's really very indirect and through Pakistan.
02:00We know that.
02:01It's very fragile in a way.
02:03Both sides are somewhat shaping their story differently
02:05for the narrative that they want to spin on home turf.
02:07The US is emphasising the progress.
02:10Iran is emphasising the resistance.
02:11The truth is probably, I guess, somewhere in the middle.
02:14The way I've kind of dealt with this in the last two days
02:15is take each with a pinch of salt
02:17and you end up with something that symbolises
02:19what it actually could be.
02:20Conversations are happening, yes, for sure.
02:22But we are a very long way from a clear, agreed deal.
02:26And in the mention of Carrigg Island
02:27in the last hour, a couple of hours,
02:29and the taking of oil as well,
02:31but at the same time saying that we've almost reached
02:32something in terms of an agreement,
02:34two very different stories.
02:35We'll see you next time.
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