Iran’s leaders believe that they can withstand an enduring standoff longer than President Trump. The strategy could be economically devastating for average Iranians.
President Trump has ridiculed President Barack Obama and the agreement, which he withdrew from during his first term. His critics say he could have avoided a war had he left it in place.
With the cease-fire on the verge of ending, President Trump said on Tuesday that he would keep it in place until Iran’s “proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other.”
The Iranians are notoriously slow negotiators. Our reporter David E. Sanger explains what the history of U.S.-Iran negotiations could mean for the latest round of talks.
The delay is another hurdle in the Trump administration’s push to secure an agreement that would curb Iran’s nuclear program.
President Trump attributed his decision to divisions among the Iranians about how to proceed and said he wanted to give them more time.
Iranian leaders fear being burned again by President Trump, who tore up a nuclear agreement reached during the Obama administration after lengthy negotiations.
The energy industry is planning for a future where the choke point on Iran’s southern coast is a lot less important.
A British-French plan to secure the Strait of Hormuz would give the continent a role. But Tehran and Washington are still calling the shots.
As the United States and Iran make a second attempt at a deal, their negotiating styles are on a collision course.