Tehran, Iran - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
1. Interview in progress
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Sasan Karimi, assistant professor, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran (ending with shots 3-7):
"I think the second or third or fourth or whatever number of rounds of the negotiation between Iran and the United States matter, because of the content, not because of the numbers. Iran is not in a hurry. I think the United States better not to be a hurry, either. If the United States wants to have a not premature deal, it is better not to be over-demanding in the beginning because both sides know the positions of the other party and it is not the time to be over-demanding or not realistic. Both sides, and also other players, need to put their feet on the ground and then go forward."

FILE: Washington D.C., USA - October 2024 (CCTV Video News Agency - No access Chinese mainland)
3. Various of White House

FILE: Iran - March 2024 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
4. Azadi Tower

FILE: Tehran, Iran - October 2024 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
5. Various of Iranian national flags, traffic

Tehran, Iran - Jan 31, 2026 (CGTN - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
6. Various of traffic, banner on building showing images of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, late leader of Islamic Revolution Ruhollah Khomeini
7. Various of Enqelab Square, giant banner

Tehran, Iran - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Sasan Karimi, assistant professor, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran (ending with shots 9-13):
"It matters. Sometimes, the mediator matters. Omanis are very good in mediation, but geographically, they are not in the middle. Geneva is a good place because it is a place for European base of the United Nations. So, this is some sort of neutrality. Geographically, Europe is in the middle, so it is not that much difficult for also Americans to come every week."

FILE: Geneva, Switzerland - 2021 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Palace of Nations; flag of United Nations; flags of UN members
10. Sign, emblem of UN

FILE: Geneva, Switzerland - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
11. Snow-covered mountain, Swiss national flag

FILE: Geneva, Switzerland - Nov 23, 2025 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
12. Various of pedestrians walking along lake, traffic, flags

FILE: Tehran, Iran - Jan 12, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
13. Various of traffic, pedestrians, Iranian national flags

Tehran, Iran - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Sasan Karimi, assistant professor, Faculty of World Studies, University of Tehran (partially overlaid with shots 15-19):
"The main obstacle is mistrust, the mutual mistrust. We know we cannot forget that Iran witnessed a kind of illegal withdrawal from the United States of Donald Trump in his first term, from the JCPOA which was the most optimum deal. Donald Trump wanted a deal to be a 'T deal', a 'Trump deal' -- not the JCPOA -- with better terms for the United States, etc. From Iranian point of view, it is not a valid and reliable party to be able to talk with in a constructive or trustful way. From the United States also, they have their own considerations. [A] technical obstacle is being over-demanding. I think that in order to reach a deal, even a political agreement, both sides need to come to the earth. Iran should not stick to the exact terms of JCPOA, and the United States should not also stick to its primary positions."

++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++
FILE: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA - October 2024 (CCTV Video News Agency - No access Chinese mainland)
15. U.S. national flag

FILE: Washington D.C., USA - May 12, 2020 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
16. Various of White House

FILE: Washington D.C., USA - October 2024 (CCTV Video News Agency - No access Chinese mainland)
17. Various of White House

FILE: Tehran, Iran - Jan 13, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
18. Various of traffic

Tehran, Iran - Feb 16, 2026 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
19. Interview in progress
++SHOTS OVERLAYING SOUNDBITE++

FILE: Tehran, Iran - Date Unknown (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland/Al-Arabiya/Persian language TV Stations outside Iran. Strictly No Access BBC Persian/VOA Persian/Manoto TV/Iran International TV)
20. Various of national flags of Iran, cityscape, traffic

Iran and the United States must have realistic expectations and mutual trust in order to advance their upcoming second round of nuclear talks toward a final deal, a Tehran-based political analyst said on Monday.

Sasan Karimi, assistant professor from the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran, shared his insights with the China Global Television Network (CGTN) into the current obstacles that could derail the negotiations between Iran and the United States as officials from both countries are scheduled to meet for their high-stakes indirect talks in Geneva, Switzerland later on Tuesday.

The Iranian delegation, headed by Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, has arrived in Geneva for talks with the U.S. side, led by President Donald Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner. Oman will serve as the mediator.

It follows the first round of indirect Iran-U.S. talks in Muscat, Oman, on Feb. 6.

Karimi said both sides need to set a low bar this time to fully understand where each other stand.

"I think the second or third or fourth or whatever number of rounds of the negotiation between Iran and the United States matter, because of the content, not because of the numbers. Iran is not in a hurry. I think the United States better not to be a hurry, either. If the United States wants to have a not premature deal, it is better not to be over-demanding in the beginning because both sides know the positions of the other party and it is not the time to be over-demanding or not realistic. Both sides, and also other players, need to put their feet on the ground and then go forward," Karimi said.

The analyst said choosing the Omanis as the mediator and Geneva as the venue for the talks matters, due to the political neutrality and geographical accessibility.

"It matters. Sometimes, the mediator matters. Omanis are very good in mediation, but geographically, they are not in the middle. Geneva is a good place because it is a place for European base of the United Nations. So, this is some sort of neutrality. Geographically, Europe is in the middle, so it is not that much difficult for also Americans to come every week," Karimi explained.

He believes that both Iran and the United States must overcome mutual mistrust, which is partly a result of the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed between Iran and world powers.

That landmark agreement began to unravel in 2018 when then-President Trump's administration unilaterally pulled out and re-imposed sweeping sanctions on Tehran. Iran responded by gradually scaling back its commitments, while pledging the relevant measures were "reversible."

According to Karimi, both sides need to accommodate each other and refrain from acting in an over-demanding manner for this round of diplomacy to really work.

"The main obstacle is mistrust, the mutual mistrust. We know we cannot forget that Iran witnessed a kind of illegal withdrawal from the United States of Donald Trump in his first term, from the JCPOA which was the most optimum deal. Donald Trump wanted a deal to be a 'T deal', a 'Trump deal' -- not the JCPOA -- with better terms for the United States, etc. From Iranian point of view, it is not a valid and reliable party to be able to talk with in a constructive or trustful way. From the United States also, they have their own considerations. [A] technical obstacle is being over-demanding. I think that in order to reach a deal, even a political agreement, both sides need to come to the earth. Iran should not stick to the exact terms of JCPOA, and the United States should not also stick to its primary positions," he said.

After Trump returned to office in 2025 and revived a "maximum pressure" policy on Iran, five additional rounds of indirect talks between Washington and Tehran that year failed to bridge core differences.

Diplomacy collapsed entirely following Israel's surprise strikes on Iran last June and the ensuing "12-Day War," during which the United States targeted key Iranian nuclear facilities.