Iran's Endless Rounds of Negotiation: Delay, Deceive, Cheat
by Majid Rafizadeh • April 19, 2025 at 5:00 am
The Iranian regime's primary objective remains preserving its power. The mullahs see their nuclear program as the key to their survival.
Any agreement should aim for nothing less than the total and permanent dismantlement of Iran's nuclear capabilities. This means no enrichment, no reprocessing, no heavy-water reactors, and no stockpiles – anywhere on the planet -- of enriched uranium.
The dismantlement and enforcement processes must not be outsourced to any international organizations or foreign governments.... Ensuring compliance must lie directly with the United States and its most trusted regional ally, Israel. Both countries have the intelligence capabilities, military readiness and political will to ensure that any nuclear dismantlement is not only thorough but irreversible.
Rounds of negotiations, verbal commitments or limited restrictions are invitations to cheat. The mullahs' plan is one of delay and deception. America's plan must be not to let them.
The Trump administration, after signaling a preference for dialogue over confrontation, is engaging in renewed a diplomatic effort to end Iran's nuclear program. President Donald J. Trump has made clear that he is not seeking war. "I would prefer to make a deal," he stated recently, "because I'm not looking to hurt Iran."
Given the devastating costs of war, focusing on negotiation rather than on military intervention is a noble and responsible course of action. The Iranian regime, however, is not new to such diplomatic games of chess. The mullahs have mastered the art of prolonging negotiations: appearing cooperative while covertly advancing their strategic interests, especially developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, and operating proxies in the region, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, not to mention Iran's own Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as smaller militias.
