Why Trump’s Iran Diplomacy May Work

Top diplomats from the U.S. and Iran look set to meet on Saturday in Oman. It would mark a significant diplomatic win for President Donald Trump, and one that eluded his predecessor Joe Biden. And though Trump’s overall foreign policy approach leaves much to be desired, he may prove uniquely positioned to revive a diplomatic accord with Iran.

For weeks, the U.S. and Iran had been trading private letters and public threats. Trump had ordered a major military buildup in the region, while Tehran warned it would target U.S. bases if attacked. Even more troubling, U.S. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz was echoing Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s hardline demand for the total dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program—a non-starter widely seen as designed to sabotage diplomacy and clear the path for military action.

In short, the atmosphere was ripe for escalation, not diplomacy.

Yet Trump’s all-purpose envoy, Steve Witkoff, is set to be joined by Iran’s top diplomat, Abbas Araghchi, to explore the parameters of a potential negotiation. Whether the talks are indirect, as the Iranians insist, or direct, as Trump claims, is beside the point. What matters is that they’re talking.