Apr 20, 2026 13:44 pm IST

Opinion | US-Iran Talks, And The Difference Between Negotiation And Humiliation

Trump's approach to the Iran question has been irrational. He reacted to the failure at Islamabad saying that he wanted not 90% or 95% but 100% satisfaction. This is dictation, not negotiation.

Kanwal Sibal Kanwal Sibal Columnist

Kanwal Sibal Columnist

The confrontation between the US and Iran should end in the interest not only of the region but of the world at large. This war, unleashed by the US and Israel, is having a global impact. Besides the issue of availability and price of oil and gas, the secondary and tertiary effects of the conflict on general economic activity, agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, travel, tourism, etc., are massive.

The two protagonists in the conflict present specific challenges. The US is led by a President who believes that dealing with nations is just like dealing with business ventures, that money-making is the only driving force, that outlandish public threats are a tool of diplomacy, and that changing positions constantly gives an edge in negotiations. Trump believes that he knows best, that making a running commentary publicly on issues at hand while negotiations are going on, unmindful of how it distracts from the process of serious negotiations, is an effective tactic. Clearly, his public pronouncements are different from what his negotiators would be saying in private talks to find some common ground, and, therefore, his confused blustering in public is hardly a normal or effective method to build a modicum of trust between the negotiating parties.

The Iranians have seen their top leadership decapitated in an atrocious violation of international law. They have been subject to two military attacks by the US and Israel in the midst of negotiations. Their distrust of the Americans, already with historical roots, would have become deeper with this experience. It would seem that after the targeted killing of their top military leaders, military decisions in Iran have been decentralised to various command centres, so that further decapitations do not break down their retaliatory responses. It would be understandable if the new persons in charge are more hardline in their thinking.

All said and done, whatever both sides may think about the causes of the conflict, the war cannot continue endlessly. At some stage, reality has to dawn on both parties that the cost of the conflict would be too massive to........

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