“The apparently conflicting signals from Tehran—publicly rejecting talks and refusing any formal limits on enrichment, while privately engaging in positive exchanges and tacitly pausing new uranium activities—reflect a deliberate dual-track strategy. This calibrated messaging allows Iran to maintain domestic cohesion and leverage in negotiations without conceding core red lines. Unless Washington and its partners establish visible, reciprocal confidence-building measures and a robust verification framework, the current de-escalatory plateau is unlikely to translate into a durable agreement and may collapse under renewed mutual suspicion.”