Negotiation, Trump style
Negotiation, Trump style
Arab News | News Desk
Revealing his strategy would forfeit leverage, eliminate surprise and weaken negotiations before they even begin.
I spent more than 20 years working on many of Trump's largest business deals and three years serving as Middle East envoy in the White House.
My phone has been ringing off the hook since Wednesday's meeting between Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Weeks ago, I wrote that he would first test whether diplomacy could work -- real diplomacy, aimed at real results.
Trump wants an agreement that eliminates Iran's nuclear threat -- one that is verifiable, enforceable and immediate Jason D.
Greenblatt Not another Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action-style agreement riddled with loopholes and excuses.
Not another paper promise that looks good in headlines and collapses in practice.
The last deal, among its many flaws, merely kicked the nuclear threat down the road and gave the Iranian regime space to cheat.
He wants an agreement that eliminates the nuclear threat -- one that is verifiable, enforceable and immediate.
One where enforcement does not depend on endless UN handwringing.
One that addresses Iran's growing missile capabilities and regional aggression.
The weaponry on display from around the world was breathtaking -- and terrifying.
And it should sober anyone who cares about what kind of world we are leaving to our children.
He also understands that the first victims of the Iranian regime are the Iranian people themselves.
They live under crushing sanctions imposed because of their leaders' warmongering, repression and extremism.
They have paid the highest price for a regime that values ideology over life.
At the same time, the threat to Israel and to America's Arab allies remains real -- and, if left unchecked, will only grow far more dangerous.
If anyone has a chance to resolve something this complex, it is him.
Because leaders across the region -- despite differing tactics -- share a clear-eyed understanding of Iran's threat.
Because the Middle East is undergoing historic, positive change under pragmatic leadership.
Because people across the region are exhausted by endless war.
And because Trump has rebuilt American strength and is unafraid to use it.
I believe they seek to buy time, build capacity and survive long enough to pursue their long-term goals: destroying Israel and dominating the region.
But I have also seen Trump accomplish what others said was impossible.
Over 23 years, I watched him close deals so-called experts dismissed as fantasy.
Above all, he has a duty to protect America -- America's soldiers, American families, the American economy and America's future.
No one should fault him for exhausting every peaceful option before choosing the hard path.
War brings death, trauma, destruction and terrible consequences that last generations.
If there is a responsible way to avoid it, a president must pursue it.
We owe it to ourselves, to those who wear the American uniform and to our allies in the Middle East to let this process unfold.
If he ultimately concludes that force is necessary -- or that supporting Israel in war is unavoidable -- he will do so knowing he explored every alternative.
He has also placed people he trusts at the table: Jared Kushner.
Greenblatt These are not career diplomats who hide behind vague language and endless process.
If a strong, enforceable agreement is possible, he and his team may be the ones to achieve it.
