Jared Kushner (left) and Steve Witkoff (right) are key figures in US negotiations with Iran. Image: keystone
analysis
The negotiations between the USA and Iran are confusing. Sometimes it blows in this direction, sometimes in the other. But where does the current diplomacy stand in the Iran war? An attempt at classification.
Mar 27, 2026, 1:23 p.mMar 27, 2026, 1:23 p.m
US President Donald Trump postponed his ultimatum to the Iranian leadership again on Thursday. The deadline for opening the Strait of Hormuz will be extended at “Iran’s request” and there will be no attacks on Iranian power plants until April 6th, Trump announced, referring to “very good” discussions.
Actually, the deadline set by Trump would have expired on Tuesday night, Swiss time, and then, after an initial extension, on Saturday, Swiss time. But Iran had asked for a seven-day extension, Trump said in an interview on Fox News on Thursday. “And I said: I’ll give you ten.” According to Swiss time, the new deadline ends on April 7th at 2 a.m.
Image: Truth Social
The fact that the US President is now extending the deadline again is fueling hopes that the peace negotiations with Iran will still bear fruit. But in the world of diplomacy you need two sides. Peace is not possible if there is disagreement.
Trump’s statements in recent days about Iran’s possible willingness to resolve the conflict through diplomacy contradict official information from Tehran. The Iranian government had already declared before Trump’s posts and statements that it would not bow to any ultimatum anyway. In addition, the Iranian leadership repeatedly denies to hold direct peace talks with the USA at all. The only emphasis is that we are in contact with third countries to find a solution.
Video: watson/Emanuella Kälin
That’s why the big question is: What applies now? Are negotiations taking place? Direct conversations? Or only via third countries? Will there be peace soon? Or will the situation escalate further? There is no certainty when it comes to these questions.
A few days ago, the USA presented a 15-point plan that is intended to bring peace to the region. This plan was immediately rejected by the Iranian regime and a plan of its own was presented. Both plans, those of the USA and those of Iran, essentially do not differ much from the negotiating points that were made public from the pre-war talks in Geneva. At that time, no way out of the crisis was found.
The opaque picture regarding negotiations between the warring parties is further distorted by Trump’s spontaneous statements on social media and in front of television cameras. He makes threats and demands, then revises and then takes them back. There is no sign of diplomatic stringency from the US President.
Will Rubio and JD Vance take over?
For Daniel Kurtzer, former US ambassador to Israel during the Bush administration, Trump’s diplomacy has failed: especially because Trump does not know his own goals in the Iran war. Opposite the “New York Times” he says:
“Trump says he wants to defuse the situation, but does he even know what that means?”
Daniel Kurtzer
Jake Sullivan, former national security adviser under Joe Biden, takes the same line. He criticizes on the podcast “The Long Game” by late night host John Stewartthat US Middle East diplomacy depends on two people: Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. They both also played a leading role in the failed Geneva negotiations.
For Sullivan, Kushner and Witkoff are the reason why there is no diplomatic solution: “Just a few days before we began the bombing attacks on Iran, the Iranians presented a proposal in Geneva that would have made a major contribution to resolving the nuclear issue,” said Sullivan. “And my understanding is that our negotiators simply didn’t understand what was being offered to them and ignored it and decided to carry out the attack anyway.”
The criticism of Kushner and Witkoff is not new. The Iranian leadership wants according to a report in the Guardian stop talking to Trump’s negotiators about a deal. Instead, the Iranians would rather negotiate with Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Rubio.
According to the British newspaper, the Iranians consider the Witkoff and Kushner duo to be insufficiently influential and their availability is merely a pretext for the USA to lull Iran into believing in good faith that it is supposedly seriously willing to talk. However, there is no chance of serious talks with the current negotiating team, the source said in the report:
«With Witkoff and Kushner nothing will come of it. We have experienced this in the past.”
“CNN” In any case, it was reported a few days ago that JD Vance and Marco Rubio should actually take the lead in the war negotiations instead – along with other US officials.
Speculation about additional US troops in the Middle East
According to media reports, a meeting between the two delegations is planned in Pakistan. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif told the Guardian that his country was ready to facilitate “meaningful and result-oriented talks” to end the war in the Middle East. Islamabad is being brought into play as a venue for negotiations. There have already been media reports from Israel that Trump could announce a ceasefire with Iran this weekend.
It’s just that the various reports from the last few days contradict each other, as is so often the case in this war. Because there are also signs that Trump is preparing for further escalation. The “Wall Street Journal” and the portal “Axios” reported, citing Defense Department sources, that sending up to 10,000 more troops to the Middle East is being considered to give Trump more room for maneuver – and leverage – in talks with Tehran.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the task force is likely to consist of infantrymen. Accordingly, they should reinforce the approximately 5,000 soldiers on site and thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division who have already been ordered to the region. The newspaper believes it is likely that the additional forces will be stationed in close proximity to Iran and the strategically important island of Kharg, through which around 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports pass.
The scenario of an impending ground offensive in Iran would become more realistic with additional US soldiers in the region, and the pressure on Tehran would continue to increase. According to Axios, the Pentagon is developing military options for a “final strike” against Iran – including the use of ground troops and heavy bombing. Trump has not yet made a decision on this, but is prepared to escalate if the talks with Iran do not produce results soon.
What will happen next (ceasefire, ground offensive or simply the status quo) can hardly be said in this conflict. This is due to Iran’s (un)willingness, but also to the unpredictability of Donald Trump and his negotiators.