President Trump is determined to hold “direct” nuclear discussions with Iran this Saturday in Oman, but Tehran insists on “indirect” negotiations.

Middle East envoy Stever Witkoff is expected to travel to Oman, potentially meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, though the Iranian official has stated that talks will occur through a third party.

The format of the discussions remains uncertain, but Iran expert Behnam Ben Taleblu from the Foundation for Defense of Democracies believes this disagreement between Washington and Tehran is a leverage play.

“Both sides have an incentive to either overrepresent or underrepresent what is happening,” he told Digital. “These are often the negotiations before the negotiations.”

“For the White House, the desire to be seen as having direct talks with the Islamic Republic is high,” he said, noting the lack of direct engagement since Trump’s first term and the regime’s strong dislike for the president, evidenced in an apparent .

While the has historically held contempt for the U.S., Trump is “very different,” according to Ben Taleblu.

The security expert emphasized the of Iranian Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the severe impact of U.S. sanctions, and Trump’s public support for the Iranian people as key issues fueling the regime’s anger.

“Trump is a very bitter pill to swallow, and I think the supreme leader of Iran once said that the shoe of Qasem Soleimani has more honor than the head of Trump,” Ben Taleblu stated. “Being seen as directly negotiating with someone [like that] would make the Islamic Republic appear weak.”

“The U.S. wants to be seen as having driven Iran to the negotiating table, and the Islamic Republic does not want to be seen as being driven to the negotiating table,” he added.

Iran’s main advantage is that, despite U.S. sanctions and efforts to prevent its nuclear weapon development, it has significantly advanced its uranium enrichment to near-weapons-grade levels, as well as its , a crucial element for launching a nuclear warhead.

Iran also has much stronger ties with U.S. adversaries like Russia and China, whose roles in opposing Western attempts to disarm Iran are currently unclear.

While Iran has considerable leverage in negotiations with the Trump administration regarding its nuclear program, Washington possesses numerous tools to incentivize or force Tehran to comply with international demands to end its nuclear program.

“The U.S. actually has a heck of a lot of leverage here,” Ben Taleblu said, citing additional economic sanctions, including “snapback” mechanisms under the United Nations Security Council, and military options.

Trump warned Iran last month to engage in nuclear talks with the U.S.

However, some question how long negotiations will continue, given that expire in October 2025.

The White House did not confirm any time restrictions issued to Iran for Digital, but Trump told reporters on Wednesday, “We have a little time, but we don’t have much time.”

“The regime has its back against the wall,” Ben Taleblu said. “A military option, given what has been happening in the Middle East since Oct. 7, 2023, is an increasingly credible option against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

“And the regime is engaging, now, to delay and prevent a military option from ever materializing,” he added. “They are hoping to use talks with the Americans as a human shield against the Israelis.”

“So long as you’re talking to America, the Israelis aren’t shooting at you,” Ben Taleblu continued.

Trump stated this week that Israel, not the U.S., would lead a military strike on Iran if nuclear talks fail, which could be a negotiating tactic, as Israel has already shown its willingness to .

“Pursuing wholesale disarmament of the Islamic Republic of Iran is incredibly risky, and it doesn’t have a great track record of succeeding,” Ben Taleblu said.

The Iranian expert argued that the only effective approach to dealing with the Islamic Republic is a “broader” and “more holistic” strategy focusing not only on nuclear nonproliferation but also on dismantling the “Axis of Resistance,” increasing sanctions, and implementing a “ground game” to counter the regime through cyber, political, and telecommunication strategies “for when Iranians go out into the street and protest again.”

“What the Islamic Republic would always want is to have you focus on the fire and not on the arsonist, and the arsonist is quite literally a regime that has tried to kill this president,” Ben Taleblu concluded.