In a significant development in the complex diplomatic relations between Tehran and Washington, Hamid Ghanbari, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister for Economic Affairs, revealed a new Iranian strategy aimed at linking a return to the nuclear agreement to tangible economic benefits for the United States. Ghanbari explained that Tehran seeks an agreement that encompasses not only political and nuclear aspects but also includes mutual economic benefits to ensure the agreement's sustainability.

The Iranian official indicated that the current negotiations directly address vital issues, including shared interests in oil and gas fields, as well as joint fields and investments in the mining sector. Perhaps the most significant point in Qanbari's remarks was the explicit mention of including "aircraft purchases" among the negotiating items, a matter of utmost sensitivity and importance for Tehran, whose civilian air fleet has suffered from obsolescence due to long-standing sanctions.

Criticism of the previous agreement and the introduction of economic guarantees

In justifying this new approach, Ghanbari criticized the structure of the 2015 nuclear agreement (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) with world powers, arguing that it "did not guarantee any economic interests for the United States." Tehran believes that the absence of direct US economic interests in the previous agreement facilitated Washington's subsequent withdrawal from it without incurring significant commercial losses. By proposing energy investments and aircraft deals (which could involve major companies like Boeing), Iran is attempting to create a network of interests that would make it difficult for any future US administration to dismantle the agreement again.

Diplomatic moves in Geneva amid military tension

These economic statements coincide with intense diplomatic activity, as the Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed that Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi departed Tehran for Geneva. This visit is to participate in a new round of indirect talks with the United States regarding the nuclear issue, as well as to hold important meetings with the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and other international figures, in an effort to break the ongoing deadlock.

Despite the resumption of negotiations this month to resolve the decades-long dispute and avert a military confrontation, the atmosphere is rife with threats of force. US officials have indicated that the United States is not only pursuing diplomacy but has also bolstered its military presence by deploying a second aircraft carrier to the region. This move serves as a clear deterrent, as Washington prepares for the possibility of a large-scale military campaign should diplomatic talks fail to curb Iran's nuclear program, placing the region at a critical crossroads between economic progress and a dangerous military escalation.

In a remarkable development that deepens the complexities of the political and security landscape in the region, the Israeli Security Cabinet approved a package of new measures aimed at tightening Israeli control over the occupied West Bank and facilitating land purchases and registrations for settlers, a move that has provoked angry reactions from the Palestinian side.

In detailing the decision, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that these moves are in line with his government's security vision, noting that the idea of ​​establishing a Palestinian state represents an existential "security threat" to Israel, especially given the electoral challenges he faces later this year. For his part, Israeli Defense Minister Yisrael Katz defended the decision, considering the transfer of land registration authority in the West Bank a "necessary security measure." The Security Cabinet, in its official statement, justified this step as a direct and appropriate response to what it described as "illegal land registration operations" promoted by the Palestinian Authority in Area C.

On the other hand, the decision was met with categorical rejection from the Palestinian Presidency, which stated that these measures constitute a "de facto annexation" of the occupied Palestinian territories, and an explicit declaration of the start of implementing plans aimed at entrenching the occupation through the expansion of illegal settlements, thus undermining any remaining opportunities to achieve peace based on the two-state solution.

The context of the conflict on land in the West Bank

This Israeli move comes within the context of a long history of conflict over land since the occupation of the West Bank in 1967. The issue of land registration is of paramount strategic importance, as vast areas of the West Bank, specifically Area C as defined by the Oslo Accords, are under full Israeli security and administrative control. Successive Israeli governments have consistently sought to bolster settlement activity in these areas, which constitute approximately 60% of the West Bank and are considered the strategic reserve of a future Palestinian state.

Political and legal repercussions

Observers and political analysts believe that allowing settlers to register their land represents a dangerous shift in the legal status of the West Bank, transferring authority from the military administration to civilian procedures similar to those applied within Israel—a process known as "creeping annexation." This shift not only threatens the territorial contiguity of any future Palestinian state but also presents the international community with new legal challenges regarding violations of international law and UN Security Council resolutions that deem settlements illegal.

This decision is expected to increase tensions on the ground, as Palestinians fear that these concessions will lead to the confiscation of more private and public lands, thus closing the door permanently to the political process and pushing the region towards further escalation and confrontation.