Former JCPOA Negotiators Highlight Deep Distrust In Iran-US Nuclear Negotiations

Negotiations involving Iran and Western powers continue to face deep uncertainty, with past diplomats and officials describing the process as slow, complex, and heavily shaped by mistrust. Recent reports suggest that ceasefire-related talks remain inconclusive, with Iranian participation reportedly dependent on changes in the “behaviour and positions” of the United States, according to unnamed Iranian officials cited by Reuters.

State media in Iran has also indicated that no delegation has yet departed for Pakistan for any round of discussions with the United States, adding to the ambiguity surrounding the status of the talks. Iranian officials, including President Masoud Pezeshkian, have publicly pointed to what they describe as a “deep historical distrust” toward US policies, as well as a “non-constructive and contradictory approach” from American officials.

These tensions echo earlier diplomatic experiences, particularly the negotiations that led to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement. Former US and Iranian negotiators involved in that process have repeatedly highlighted the difficulty of bridging fundamental differences between the two sides, especially in terms of trust and negotiation style.

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Wendy Sherman, who led the US negotiating team for the JCPOA, has previously said that engaging Iran in negotiations requires significant time and patience, noting that the original deal took around 18 months to finalise. She has also stressed that short-term or rapid negotiation attempts are unlikely to succeed given the complexity of the issues involved.

Former US officials have also described the contrasting diplomatic approaches as a key challenge. Rob Malley, who was part of the JCPOA negotiating team, has noted that leadership styles on both sides contribute to prolonged deadlock, describing Iran’s negotiators as “stubborn and tenacious” and former US President Donald Trump as “impulsive and temperamental,” reflecting fundamentally different negotiation dynamics.

Analysts and former negotiators further warn that conditions today are even more complicated than in 2015, citing heightened regional tensions and reduced trust between parties. With past agreements no longer fully applicable and political leadership on both sides having changed, experts suggest that any future deal would require renewed, prolonged engagement and carefully rebuilt confidence before meaningful progress can be achieved.

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