But the opposite results began to appear quickly: military force can destroy facilities and military capabilities, and sanctions can choke the economy, but they do not necessarily guarantee Iran accepting the political conditions Washington wants. Here, it became necessary to change the strategy and resort to negotiations which began in April 2025, with Omani mediation.The White House announced after the Muscat round that its envoy Steve Witkoff received instructions from Trump to resolve differences with Iran through dialogue and diplomacy if possible. Amid rounds of negotiations in Islamabad, Muscat, Doha, and other channels involving Egypt, Turkey, and Saudi Arabia, the problem was becoming more complicated, especially with Iran moving its arms in Iraq and Yemen, particularly after Hezbollah withdrew following Israeli strikes and the fall of its main strongholds in southern Lebanon.
