by Bloomberg|María Paula Mijares Torres |US President Donald Trump said his administration’s talks with Iran over the weekend were “very good,” as he pushes to limit the Islamic Republic’s nuclear program.
“We had some very good talks with Iran yesterday and today, and let’s see what happens,” Trump told reporters on Sunday at the Morristown Airport in New Jersey on his way back to Washington. “I don’t know if I’ll be telling you anything good or bad over the next two days, but I have a feeling I might be telling you something good.”
US and Iranian officials held talks in Rome on Friday. The Iranian foreign minister and the country’s lead negotiator, Abbas Araghchi, said the talks could lead to an agreement in the next couple of meetings.
“I’d love that to happen, because I’d love to see no bombs dropped, and a lot of people dead,” Trump said. “I think there’s a good chance that it could happen.”
Trump’s latest comments, along with the more optimistic tone at the end of the Rome talks, may help soothe the oil market, which had been unsettled by Trump threatening to bomb Iran if the talks collapse. Israel has also said it will take military action against Tehran if it feels that’s necessary.
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Why Is Iran So Difficult to Deal With, Even Without Nuclear Weapons?
Iran remains one of the world’s most vexing diplomatic challenges. Even absent nuclear weapons, the Islamic Republic wields a complex blend of history, ideology, and strategic ambition that frustrates its adversaries and complicates negotiations at every turn.
To understand why Iran is so hard to engage, you have to look far beyond its nuclear program. The story starts with geography: Iran is a giant by regional standards, stretching from the Persian Gulf to the Caspian Sea, guarding the vital oil shipping lanes of the Strait of Hormuz. Its size and population give it weight, but what truly sets Iran apart is the sense of destiny embedded in its leadership since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
The country’s unique political system—an uneasy mix of republican institutions and hard-line clerical rule—creates unpredictability. Power ultimately rests with the Supreme Leader, whose worldview is shaped by the trauma of foreign intervention, from British and Russian meddling in the 19th and 20th centuries to the CIA-backed coup in 1953. Today’s rulers see themselves as both the guardians of Shi’a Islam and the inheritors of an ancient civilization. Suspicion of the West runs deep.
This worldview animates Iran’s foreign policy. The regime has invested heavily in alliances and proxies across the Middle East: Hezbollah in Lebanon, Shi’a militias in Iraq and Syria, the Houthis in Yemen. These relationships give Tehran influence far beyond its borders and allow it to shape events across the region, often in ways that frustrate the United States, Israel, and the Gulf monarchies.
Years of economic sanctions and isolation have bred resilience, not surrender. Iranian officials are notorious for their tough, patient bargaining, exploiting every crack in the opposition’s unity. Sanctions have also nurtured a siege mentality that makes leaders less likely to bow to outside pressure and more determined to chart their own course.
Inside Iran, fierce debates rage between reformers, hardliners, and pragmatists. This internal jockeying often spills over into foreign policy, creating volatility and making it difficult for international negotiators to know if any deal will stick. Agreements can be made—and unmade—depending on which faction is ascendant.
And all of this is underpinned by a deep sense of nationalism. After decades of foreign interference, many Iranians—leaders and ordinary citizens alike—are deeply wary of outsiders telling them what to do. The regime’s rhetoric about foreign threats is not just propaganda; it taps into real historical grievances.
In the end, Iran’s nuclear ambitions are only one part of a much bigger story. The challenges of dealing with Tehran are rooted in its sense of history, its desire for regional leadership, and its refusal to submit to the will of others. Until those deeper issues are addressed, Iran will remain a formidable—and unpredictable—player on the world stage, with or without the bomb.
