Negotiations with Iran appeared to promise a diplomatic breakthrough, but the launch of Operation Epic Fury suggests the talks served mainly to mask a pre-planned path to war driven by political and strategic pressure.

Since April 2025, the Omani capital, Muscat, had been the scene of what appeared to be an “historic breakthrough." On the table were the most complex dossiers: Iran’s nuclear program and the shadow of US sanctions. The sessions were not merely procedural; the Omani mediator spoke openly of “significant progress,” while Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi described the talks as “advancing along positive tracks.”

Iran showed flexibility in accepting international inspections and the scene suggested calm, but what unfolded later revealed that this negotiating path was nothing more than a “diplomatic curtain” to relieve political embarrassment, while the drums of war were sounding elsewhere.

In Washington, the most ardent advocates of war did not see negotiation as a solution but as an obstacle. US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth did not hide his intentions. In his book The American Crusade, he did not speak in the language of numbers or traditional national interests but used explicit “crusader” language. He viewed........

© Pearls and Irritations