As Iran begins funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the political landscape in Tehran is shifting at a critical juncture. The US-Iran talks, now set within a 60 day window, have passed the halfway point without any real breakthrough.
These very issues are now being fiercely debated at the 14th World Peace Forum in Beijing, held from July 3 to 4, where global political figures and scholars have gathered to discuss international security.
The indirect talks in Doha on July 1 and mediated by Qatar and Pakistan, were meant to build on the June 18 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). However, Washington and Tehran remain far apart on key issues, ranging from sanctions relief and nuclear restrictions to the fate of $12 billion in frozen Iranian assets, with the US insisting that the assets be kept in escrow for agricultural purchases, while Iran demands full control.
Meanwhile, the fragile ceasefire that has been in place since April has never truly materialized. Clashes continue to flare in Iran, Lebanon, Syria, and the Red Sea, with heavy losses on multiple side. And the biggest wild card remains Israel, whose military actions in Gaza and Lebanon, in contravention of the US Iran MoU have only widened the US Israel rift, undermining any prospect of a unified front.
As analysts observe, the most optimistic outcome may be a return to the situation before the bombing began. But with the clock ticking and the window half closed, the fundamental disagreements over Iran's nuclear program, regional order, and the very definition of "peace" show no sign of narrowing.
The world is watching, but the question remains: can the US and Iran break the impasse before time runs out, or will this window close with only more conflicts on the horizon?
Reporter: Guo Zedong
Video, photo, cover: Deng Yingheng
