One consequential issue looms over President Trump’s Middle East visit this week: Iran. In recent weeks, the Trump administration has put significant effort into diplomacy with the Islamic Republic—though agreement on a framework for a new nuclear deal is proving elusive.
Momentarily setting aside the substance of a deal, it’s worth noting the Trump administration has erected barriers around these negotiations—including imposing a 60-day limit to reach a deal and declaring that Iran can either choose to make a deal or risk a U.S.-led military effort to destroy their nuclear program. This all-or-nothing approach puts U.S.-Iran diplomacy on a perilous path. If bombing Iran is truly plan B, Trump would be wise to go back to the drawing board.
While we should be hopeful for a meaningful and durable deal, it remains a grim possibility that these talks will fall apart. Messaging from the U.S. side has been mixed, but it is hard to see Iran agreeing to any deal which stipulates that Iran will not be able to enrich its own uranium and must dismantle its missile program. If a diplomatic effort to halt Iran’s nuclear program fails, the Trump administration is touting a military alternative. Trump recently characterized his options by saying, “There are only two alternatives there, blow them up nicely or blow them up viciously.”
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