Iran and US to meet for nuclear talks but little obvious prospect of success

Historical metaphor refers to them as "Nixon in China" moments: diplomatic encounters where leaders representing political systems implacably opposed to each other overcome their mistrust to achieve unexpected breakthroughs. Yet few meetings can have held less obvious prospect of the success achieved by President Richard Nixon's historic 1972 visit to Beijing than that scheduled to take place in Oman on Saturday between representatives of the United States and Iran. The event took the international media by surprise when it was announced by Donald Trump last Monday. Ostensibly at stake is Iran's nuclear program, and western fears that the country's theocratic…