Behnameh Talablu, senior program director for Iran at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said that meetings and possible exchanges of messages between officials of the Islamic Republic and the United States on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly could continue, but are unlikely to lead to any tangible result. He added that Tehran is trying to buy time—delaying the pressure of sanctions and the possibility of an escalation of tensions.

Talablu also said that Israel, despite its current focus on its own borders, still views the Islamic Republic as a strategic threat and, in his view, any possible change in Tehran’s way of behaving does not mean a change in the nature of the Islamic Republic’s policies; therefore, one should not expect an unexpected diplomatic shift.