Trump negotiators fear no one in Tehran can approve a deal
US negotiators worry there may be no empowered Iranian official to approve a deal with Washington, according to Axios. The report cites open rifts between the IRGC and civilian negotiators, and a supreme leader who is “barely communicating.” A deal remains possible, but internal fractures in Tehran are deepening.
President Donald Trump’s negotiators are concerned that there may be no one in Tehran with the authority to approve a potential deal with Washington, Axios reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed officials. While a deal to end the war and address Iran’s nuclear program is still seen as achievable, US negotiators fear that internal power struggles have left no single Iranian figure “empowered to say yes.” The report claims that Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is “barely communicating,” and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and civilian negotiators are “openly at odds over strategy.”
Internal fractures and leadership void
The reported interior “fracture” is partly attributed to Israel’s assassination in March of Ali Larijani, the former secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. His replacement, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, is described as “not effective” at coordinating between the IRGC, civilian leadership, and the supreme leader. On Monday evening, Iran appeared to signal through Pakistani intermediaries that it was open to negotiations. By Tuesday morning, however, that openness had vanished, replaced by a demand that the US end its naval blockade.
Trump’s calculus
According to the report, Trump believes the US has already achieved everything possible through military action and is looking to exit the increasingly unpopular conflict. He is unwilling to restart operations until all diplomatic avenues have been fully explored. However, if Pakistani mediators fail to bring Iran to the table within Trump’s timeframe, military action will once again be considered.
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