Nuclear talks may lead to broader concessions – Hardline paper

Iran's hardline Kayhan newspaper, managed by a representative of the Supreme Leader, warned that the ongoing nuclear negotiations with the United States could be a prelude to further talks on Iran's missile capabilities and regional influence.

In an analysis on Monday, Kayhan suggested that the US seeks to limit any regional power that could rival Israel. The paper argued that the US views the nuclear talks as a means to open the door for negotiations on what it called other components of Iran's power, a scenario it believes would make the country vulnerable to attack.

Kayhan rhetorically asked why an enemy would not attack an Iran that lacked nuclear, missile, and drone capabilities, and had abandoned its regional allies in negotiations.

The commentary also cautioned against being deceived by superficial progress in the nuclear talks, warning that it could be a trap to draw Iran into endless negotiations. To counter this, the paper stressed the necessity of establishing clear red lines in the current talks, securing strong guarantees, and seeing verifiable commitment from the other side.