Diplomatic veterans who participated in crafting the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran are warning that future agreements with the Islamic Republic will face significant hurdles.
Those who spent extensive time at the negotiating table describe a process marked by deep-seated suspicion between the parties, fundamentally different approaches to diplomacy, and intricate policy challenges that resist simple solutions.
The experts emphasize that these factors combine to make any rapid breakthrough in negotiations highly improbable, based on their firsthand experience working through the complex nuclear accord nearly a decade ago.
