Middle East Crisis Iran War

Trump's Former Negotiator: "Escalation Awaits"

The US attempts to negotiate with Iran will not end well for either party. Nate Swanson warns of this in an interview with Politico.

Swanson was previously part of Donald Trump's negotiating team on Iran and was previously responsible for Iran issues on the National Security Council under Joe Biden. Even before the war, he published an analysis in Foreign Affairs that has largely been shown to be consistent with how the situation looks today.

- I think both sides are irrationally convinced of their own position, and that is worrying. I therefore believe that the war will last longer than anyone expected.

According to Swanson, the chances of success are small because Iran has rejected the negotiations and believes that it has the upper hand and therefore the right to make demands, something the US is not prepared to accept. Therefore, he assesses that neither side is willing to compromise.

He also believes that an “escalation is coming” and that the US may move forward with some form of ground operation.

Majority leader does not rule out troops in Iran

The US House of Representatives majority leader, Republican Steve Scalise, does not rule out the possibility of US troops being deployed in the war against Iran, reports ABC News.

– There are no ground troops on the ground today, but we are having a lot of discussions about what could happen next. But I think most people, most civilized people, realize that a nuclear-armed Iran is not an option that any of us want, he told the channel on Sunday.

Several within the party have been critical of the idea of ​​deploying troops on the ground. Scalise also does not want to answer what the support among Republicans looks like for such an operation, since it has not happened yet.

– We are not there yet, he says.

Pakistan: Talks between the US and Iran this week

Both the US and Iran have “expressed their confidence” in letting Pakistan mediate in peace talks, says Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar according to several media outlets. He is open to the possibility that it could happen “in the coming days”.

– Pakistan would be honored to host and facilitate meaningful talks, he says according to Bloomberg.

The US has previously sent a 15-point proposal to Iran, which was rejected. Neither country has confirmed that any direct talks will be held this coming week.