Reprinted from John’s Substack:
On 24 May 2026, I was on “Switzerland” talking with Tom Switzer about the high profile negotiations between President Trump and Iran that were taking place that day. Exactly where those negotiations will lead is difficult to tell. Trump initially signaled that the two sides were very close to a deal, but then qualified his language later in the day. It appeared from what we were hearing about the specifics of the deal — certainly at the start of the public conversation — that the US was effectively conceding defeat to Iran, which is not to deny that Iran would have to make some concessions, especially on the nuclear issue. Unsurprisingly, Israel, the lobby, and the war hawks here in the US were apoplectic about the terms of the deal, which is surely what caused Trump to temper his rhetoric over the course of the day. Tom and I had an excellent discussion about the ongoing negotiations and the obstacles to reaching a final agreement.
