High-Stakes Diplomacy: Future of Iran's Nuclear Programme

Iran and the U.S. are set for a pivotal meeting over Iran's nuclear programme, amidst escalating tensions and threats of military action from President Trump. The timeline traces their tumultuous relationship, highlighting key events from initial cooperation to recent confrontations and sanctions.

The longstanding tension over Iran's nuclear programme sees another critical juncture as the U.S. and Iran prepare for talks on Saturday. U.S. President Donald Trump has issued a stark ultimatum, threatening military intervention should the discussions fail to yield a satisfactory agreement.

This ongoing dispute goes back decades, beginning with a 1957 nuclear cooperation deal between Iran and the U.S. The dynamics shifted dramatically in 1979 following Iran's Islamic Revolution, subsequently marking the U.S. as Iran's main adversary. Since then, Iran's nuclear ambitions have been a point of international contention, with the country often accused of seeking atomic weaponry, a claim it refutes.

A timeline of incidents shows attempts at diplomacy, notably the 2015 JCPOA deal which curbed Iran's nuclear activities, only to be abandoned by the U.S. in 2017 under President Trump. Despite a continuum of negotiations and sanctions, the gulf widens, with prospects of new deals seemingly distant as tensions flare with each new development.

(With inputs from agencies.)