Trump’s ‘one-man WhatsApp group’ diplomacy derailing Iran peace talks – The Guardian

Donald Trump’s blend of threats and hubristic commentary, often casually dismissive of Iran, has, as much as the continuation of the US naval blockade of Iranian ports, been a key stumbling block to restarting peace talks between the two countries under Pakistan’s mediation in Islamabad. However much the Iranian foreign ministry insists it will not respond to every social media utterance issued by the US president on Iran, and sometimes there are as many as seven a day, Tehran cannot ignore them all, even if they contradict what the Iranians are being told in private about Trump’s true intentions. Indeed, Trump’s impatience and rough-house diplomatic style has become a self-standing impediment to a solution. Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, warned that “by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire”, the US president “seeks to turn this negotiating table – in his own imagination – into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering. We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.” Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, made a similar point with a reference to Jane Austen, saying: “It’s
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