How the war on Iran became JD Vance’s political liability — This is America

[0:09] This is America and Washington DC, which isn't big on peace monuments. [0:14] This is actually the only one explicitly called that in the whole of the capital. [0:20] Here they prefer military victories. [0:22] But peace, less heralded, negotiated peace, might actually be the best chance [0:27] for President Trump to get out of this war quickly and on his own terms. [0:32] But who are the angels of this peace who are going to deliver that for him? [0:36] And what do we know about those he hopes can get the deal done? [0:40] I'll have more on that later. [0:41] But first, here's Cyril Varnier in our Washington studio. [0:46] John, thank you very much. [0:47] When the U.S. president needs to flex his diplomatic muscle, as he does now, [0:52] he doesn't call on diplomats. [0:53] He calls on his longtime friend, Steve Witkoff, and his son-in-law, Jared Kushner. [0:58] In the last 15 months, he has tasked them with ending multiple wars [1:01] in Ukraine, in Gaza, and now with Iran. [1:04] And there's a late addition to that team, a man who didn't support this war, [1:08] Vice President J.D. Vance. [1:10] That trio, earlier this month, spent 20 hours across the table [1:14] from Iran's negotiating team and then left without visible progress. [1:19] So in a moment, we'll get to our chief U.S. correspondent, Alan Fisher. [1:22] He's at the White House for the very latest on the negotiation. [1:25] Critics will say that Donald Trump's chosen negotiators lack [1:29] the high-level diplomatic experience that is required in this moment. [1:33] But the president feels that he can trust them. [1:36] And not only that, they're compatible with his brand of deal-making. [1:40] J.D. has been great. Thank you very much. [1:44] He gets a little bit tough on occasion. [1:45] We've got to slow him down just a little bit on occasion. [1:48] I saw something in Steve. Steve's a great negotiator. [1:50] Everybody loved him. [1:52] Jared was responsible for the Abraham Accords, which is incredible. [1:55] Nobody else could have done that. [1:57] Well, despite this high praise for Whitcoff, Kushner, and Vance, [2:01] there is no indication that an agreement between the U.S. and Iran [2:04] could be around the corner, an agreement on ending the war, [2:08] on Iran's nuclear program, or on the Strait of Hormuz. [2:11] Al Jazeera's Manuel Rapalo takes a closer look at the team [2:14] that Donald Trump is putting his trust in. [2:18] As he pursues diplomacy with Iran, President Donald Trump [2:21] is turning to a small, unconventional team split across two distinct camps. [2:25] On one side, a senior cabinet member with growing influence. [2:29] On the other, two longtime Trump insiders, trusted by the president, [2:33] but not necessarily by Tehran. [2:35] Let's start with J.D. Vance. [2:36] He's a best-selling author, a former venture capitalist turned populist politician, [2:41] now one of Trump's most prominent governing partners. [2:44] What we have now that we didn't have when the president took over just a little over a year ago [2:49] is the ability to use every tool at our disposal to ensure that Iran doesn't get a nuclear weapon. [2:56] Unlike some of Trump's other envoys, [2:58] Vance has positioned himself as a skeptic of foreign intervention, [3:02] a stance that resonates with parts of the Republican base. [3:05] And some analysts say Iran may view Vance as a more pragmatic figure, [3:10] someone potentially open to recalibrating U.S. policy rather than simply enforcing it. [3:15] The second camp includes Jared Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and former senior advisor, [3:21] and real estate developer Steve Witkoff, a longtime confidant of the president. [3:25] Both of these men have already been tapped to lead U.S. negotiations with Iran, [3:30] though neither has delivered a breakthrough. [3:33] Kushner played a key role in shaping Trump's Middle East strategy during his first term. [3:38] I don't need a history lesson, just I want a very simple thing. [3:40] Here today in 2017, what's the outcome that you would accept? [3:44] He's widely seen as the architect of the Abraham Accords and remains a key voice on Middle East policy. [3:51] Witkoff, meanwhile, brings negotiating experience but limited diplomatic credentials. [3:55] His influence comes less from traditional statecraft and more from his personal relationship with Trump. [4:01] I have no doubt that we exhausted all efforts on behalf of the peaceful resolution as you directed. [4:07] Jared and I both agreed that the Iranians were there to buy time until a weaker president arrived. [4:15] At the same time, Vance, while politically more acceptable to Tehran, faces his own test, [4:21] turning political positioning into tangible diplomatic progress. [4:24] Together, this team reflects Trump's broader foreign policy approach, [4:28] blending political loyalty, personal trust, and outsider instincts over conventional diplomacy. [4:34] They have the ear of the president and the authority to strike a deal. [4:38] What remains unclear is whether this diplomatic troika can move in sync and whether that's enough to deliver a breakthrough with Iran. [4:46] Two tracks, one objective, and a negotiation where trust may prove harder to build than the deal itself. [4:53] Manuel Rapalo, Al Jazeera, Washington. [4:57] Al Jazeera's chief U.S. correspondent, Alan Fisher, is at the White House. [5:00] So, Alan, Donald Trump decided not to send his negotiators back to Islamabad, Pakistan, at the very last minute. [5:06] In spite of that, is there still communication at the moment between the U.S. and Iran? [5:11] Well, publicly, things seem to be stalled. [5:13] Certainly, there's no plans that we're hearing that there's any face-to-face negotiations planned. [5:18] But behind the scenes, there's always a level of communication. [5:21] And certainly, we understand the Pakistanis are keen to hear from both sides [5:25] and try and find a way to bridge the differences. [5:28] The differences include a change and a difference in negotiating style. [5:33] The Iranians believe that Donald Trump is very reactive and impulsive. [5:38] They believe that it's a much more measured approach they're negotiating, [5:41] not just for now, but also for ongoing years to come. [5:46] And they hope that any deal they make, the United States will stick to and agree to. [5:51] Now, there's another problem as well. [5:54] There's red lines. [5:55] Donald Trump has very clear red lines. [5:57] And that makes it difficult for the Pakistanis to try and get the United States and Iran around the table [6:04] because some things that the United States say they won't accept, Iran are very keen to negotiate on. [6:10] Now, Donald Trump has said all the Iranians have to do is call. [6:14] The Iranians say there's a framework there for further discussions. [6:17] But at the moment, as I say, those discussions seem stalled and going nowhere for now. [6:23] Al Jazeera's Alan Fisher reporting from the White House. [6:26] Thank you very much, Alan. [6:27] So how's the current stalemate in negotiations playing out in the U.S. media? [6:31] John Holman takes a closer look. [6:34] Thanks, Cyril. [6:35] Reporting on Iran has been a bit muted over the last couple of days as the U.S. media pivoted [6:40] to the attack at the White House Correspondents' Dinner here at the Washington Hilton. [6:46] But on Sunday, President Trump actually phoned into Fox News as he's want to do to share his thoughts [6:52] on the peace process and to explain why he cancelled the trip to Islamabad of his envoys, [6:58] Jared Kushner and Steve Wyckoff. [7:00] Not worth an 18-hour flight, he said. [7:03] But we're going to do it by telephone. [7:05] So if they want, they can call us. [7:07] But again, they know what has to be in the agreement. [7:10] Very simple. [7:10] They cannot have a nuclear weapon. [7:12] Otherwise, there's no reason to meet. [7:14] And the president said there's a deadline built in by U.S. forces to make sure he gets what [7:19] he wants, the blockade on Iran's oil. [7:22] He shared a fairly visceral vision of what he thinks will happen when the country's pipelines [7:27] get backed up with the black stuff. [7:29] What happens is that line explodes from within, both mechanically and in the earth. [7:36] If something happens where it just explodes, they say they only have about three days left [7:41] before that happens. [7:42] So expect that on Wednesday. [7:45] But what happens once and if Iran is brought to the table? [7:48] There's been a lot of questions about his preferred negotiators. [7:53] It's not working. [7:54] Diplomats fear Trump's Iran envoys are making things worse, [7:59] says this time headline from 15th of April. [8:01] He's talking about Kushner and Wyckoff, respectively, the president's son-in-law and his friend, [8:08] both of them real estate developers. [8:10] They get an F in diplomacy, one former State Department negotiator told the magazine. [8:16] Their faults in his eyes, inexpertise and inexperience. [8:21] Add to that a trust deficit with Iran, according to Reuters, among others, [8:26] after the U.S. hit the country just after meetings with them this February. [8:30] In the first round of talks, that distrust resulted in foreign war skeptic Vice President J.D. Vance heading to talks in Islamabad. [8:39] But at the moment, neither he nor anyone else seems in danger of getting on a plane. [8:45] And with that, the peace process, too, is idling on the tarmac. [8:51] Iran and the United States don't have formal diplomatic relations, so direct talks are extremely rare. [8:56] In fact, there's only been one formal agreement between the two countries, and that's the Iran nuclear deal more than 10 years ago, [9:03] also known, sometimes referred to as the JCPOA. [9:06] That negotiation was headed by then-Secretary of State John Kerry, [9:10] a former senator who was chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. [9:13] He had previous experience leading talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan, [9:17] and he was instrumental in the ratification of a nuclear arms reduction treaty with Russia. [9:23] And Kerry was backed by Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman. [9:26] He wasn't alone. [9:27] Wendy Sherman had worked on the 1994 agreement for North Korea to freeze its nuclear weapons program, [9:32] and after that, on secret negotiations to restrict Pyongyang's missile program. [9:37] So both Kerry and Sherman had prior experience in high-level state-to-state negotiations. [9:43] Now, compare that to Trump's team and his three key negotiators right now. [9:48] Steve Witkoff, decades-old friend of the president, as we said. [9:51] His experience is in real estate, but recently he has been involved in direct talks to end the war in Ukraine [9:57] and Israel's war on Gaza. [9:59] Alongside him, Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, another real estate developer, [10:04] but has also worked on the Ukraine talks, the 2020 Abraham Accords, [10:07] and the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. [10:10] And the very latest round of talks was led by Vice President J.D. Vance. [10:16] That made the meeting in Pakistan the highest-level talks in nearly half a century between the U.S. and Iran. [10:23] So to discuss all this, we're joined by Republican and political communications strategist John Feary [10:28] and former U.S. ambassador and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs Gordon Gray. [10:35] Thank you very much to both of you for joining us. [10:38] I think the most common and easiest criticism of this current negotiating team chosen by Donald Trump, right, [10:45] is that Witkoff and Kushner, as we just laid out, are not former diplomats. [10:50] And so I was wondering, Ambassador, as a career diplomat, is that something that bothers you? [10:55] Do you think that is a real problem when you're sending people to negotiate on behalf of the U.S. government with another state? [11:02] Not necessarily. I think they've got two things going in their favor. [11:08] One is the fact that they've got the trust of the president, [11:11] and one is the fact that they have instant access to the president. [11:16] And those two are essential factors if you're going to be a successful negotiator. [11:22] Senator George Mitchell did an excellent job negotiating the Good Friday Accords. [11:26] So even as a former diplomat, I have to admit, you don't have to be a diplomat to negotiate successfully. [11:34] Now, that doesn't mean that they have all the skills necessary to do so. [11:41] And I think that the lack of familiarity with the nuclear file is a crucial weakness that they have. [11:49] I don't mean that critically. [11:51] I'm not a nuclear expert. [11:52] I bet you're not a nuclear expert. [11:54] John Kerry wasn't a nuclear expert either, but he was smart enough and self-aware enough [12:00] to bring nuclear experts with him to the negotiations. [12:04] John Fury? [12:05] Obviously, he knows more about this stuff than I do, but he's exactly right. [12:08] If you don't know the terms that you're dealing with, you don't know the definitions, [12:11] you don't know what the nuclear stuff is that you're trying to get out, [12:16] and you don't have the right guys negotiating, then it's very difficult. [12:18] I think it's also very difficult to negotiate with the Iranians. [12:22] I mean, they are not easy customers. [12:24] They're going to walk out of the negotiations. [12:26] They're going to do everything they can to delay this because they think by delay, [12:31] it helps them weaken the president. [12:34] So I think that this team is a good team because they have the president's trust. [12:38] I think they're completely unconventional. [12:40] I think bringing J.D. Vance in, J.D. Vance is a very smart guy. [12:44] He's probably intellectually smarter than anybody else in the administration. [12:46] The question is, can he use those smarts to get a deal that is really acceptable to the American people? [12:53] But the question we're asking today really is, is this negotiating team suitable? [12:57] So Whitcoff, Kushner, Vance, and we mentioned Whitcoff and Kushner don't have prior diplomatic experience. [13:03] Ambassador Gray said it's okay if they're not diplomats, but they do need the expertise. [13:07] Both of you seeming to say agree on the fact that, well, did they have the expertise or not to conduct these negotiations? [13:14] The number one thing they need is the president's trust because ultimately is the president. [13:18] They have the president's trust. [13:19] Well, and so then they're acceptable. [13:20] Absolutely they're acceptable. [13:21] And I think that they are. [13:22] But then the question is about are they good negotiators, good for this job? [13:26] Well, you know, Jared Kushner was pretty good to get the Abraham Accord. [13:30] So he does have some. [13:31] Whitcoff has been working with Putin trying to get a deal with the Russians. [13:35] So he has some diplomatic experience to there. [13:37] You know, I think the fact is we don't know how good they're going to be until they come up with an agreement. [13:42] And we don't know how good the agreement is going to be. [13:43] Is it worth for the American people to get involved themselves in this war? [13:47] And ultimately that's going to be a political question. [13:50] Ambassador Gray, you could make the kind of the counter argument of the usual criticism of Whitcoff and Kushner, [13:57] the counter argument being that in the last year and a half, certainly in Whitcoff's case, [14:00] he has accrued more face time with world leaders in high level talks than maybe anyone else on the planet at this point. [14:09] He's been meeting face to face with President Putin, with Ukrainian President Zelensky, [14:14] with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Israeli intelligence. [14:18] The list goes on. [14:19] He's been meeting in Qatar. [14:20] He's been involved in so many high level talks that at this point maybe he has accrued the experience that you need for this. [14:27] I think the issue is not whether they have the experience or not. [14:32] It's whether they have the expertise and whether they can deliver a deal. [14:36] Yes, he's met with Putin several times. [14:38] He's met with Putin without his own translator there, which is a grave mistake. [14:44] And let's face it, he's fallen hook, line and sinker for a lot of the Russian propaganda, [14:51] a lot of Putin's talking points on Ukraine. [14:53] I think he went into that negotiation thinking it was a real estate deal. [14:58] It's not a real estate deal. [15:00] It's an existential question for Ukraine and for President Zelensky. [15:05] And it's also a much larger issue for President Putin than just who controls Donetsk [15:12] or a few kilometers on the Russian-Ukrainian front. [15:15] And this war with Iran is also an existential question for them. [15:18] I want to add a few things for our viewers' benefit to the wins and losses for both Steve Woodcoff and Jared Kushner. [15:25] Despite having little prior experience of official government diplomacy, as we've discussed, [15:30] Woodcoff and Kushner have by now built up quite a few hours of face-to-face time with world leaders, [15:35] and they do have some wins to their name. [15:37] So arguably the biggest for Kushner, and it's just been mentioned, was brokering the 2020 Abraham Accords. [15:42] That saw the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain normalize diplomatic and commercial relations with Israel. [15:49] The president's son-in-law also worked alongside Woodcoff to lead negotiations for a ceasefire deal in Gaza, [15:54] a deal that Israel has violated on a near-daily basis, killing hundreds of Palestinians since that deal was signed. [16:01] Kushner and Woodcoff are both executive members of the Board of Peace, [16:04] the body which was created to oversee Gaza's redevelopment, but it has itself come in for criticism. [16:10] They were also the ones leading indirect negotiations in Oman and Geneva before the U.S. went on to bomb Iran both times. [16:17] In addition to all those talks, the pair have held direct but as yet unsuccessful negotiations [16:22] with both the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, Ambassador Gray was just mentioning that, [16:26] and with the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky. [16:31] So at this point, Woodcoff and Kushner, when they met with the Iranians and J.D. Vance as well, [16:39] it was well-reported, and they said so publicly, that they were on the phone with Donald Trump some more than a dozen times. [16:47] Do they have, who's negotiating here? [16:49] Is it Donald Trump? [16:51] Or do they have some sort of wiggle room to put their imprint on this negotiation? [16:56] I personally think it's all about the president. [16:58] And I think that the reason he has Woodcoff and Kushner there is because they bring a business sensibility. [17:04] And I think he's trying to develop a commercial relationship. [17:06] And I think he's trying to do it in a way, I think he's, this whole Board of Peace is an effort to try to get more business into Gaza [17:13] and kind of bring kind of a business diplomacy. [17:16] And I think that this is the president who's wrote a book called The Art of the Deal. [17:20] Before you get business into Gaza, you'd have to, Gaza would need to exist, which currently it's barely done. [17:26] No question. [17:26] No, there's no question about that. [17:27] But that's the vision that Trump had. [17:29] How can I make money on this? [17:31] How can we have a commercial, how can we have business in Gaza? [17:33] That's the first thing he thinks about. [17:35] And so I think from the perspective of having these two as his principal negotiators, [17:39] is that's where they're coming at this. [17:41] They're coming at it from a business perspective, not necessarily from a diplomatic perspective. [17:46] And I think that that's why the president is directly involved in these talks. [17:49] So it's interesting you bring this up. [17:51] In that case, let's hear how Steve Witkoff himself describes his negotiating strategy. [17:57] This is how he talked about his approach to negotiations. [18:01] Here he is speaking on the Tucker Carlson Show. [18:03] I sit with the president and we talk often about what the end game is. [18:10] Where does he want to get to? [18:12] And once you decide where you want to get to, [18:14] then it's all about tactically figuring out what that pathway is. [18:17] Well, there's no doubt. [18:18] I'm always trying to put myself in the shoes of the other person [18:22] because a good deal has to work for everybody. [18:25] OK, so you heard Witkoff, Ambassador Gray, saying, [18:29] I try to put myself in the other party's shoes, see what they want, [18:33] and whether I can get that for them. [18:35] Do you think that works in the context of this Iran negotiation? [18:39] I think it works in any negotiation. [18:41] If you don't understand where your opposite number in the negotiation is coming from, [18:47] you're just shooting yourself in the foot. [18:48] It's going to make it that much more difficult. [18:51] What troubled me in that clip that we just saw is Mr. Witkoff saying he sits with the president [18:58] and gets his strategic guidance. [19:01] It would be wonderful for the American people if the president shared what his strategic objectives [19:07] were because they continually shift over time and they shift depending on which voice in the administration is speaking. [19:17] Are Witkoff and Kushner the right people to put across the table from Iran, [19:22] given that each time Iran has negotiated with them, they've been bombed? [19:26] Doesn't that argue in favor of maybe change the team? [19:31] I don't think it necessarily argues in favor of changing it, [19:34] but I think it was probably a smart move to add Vice President Vance to it, [19:38] who by all the reports I saw was specifically requested by the Iranian side. [19:44] Or you could make the counter-argument that that is the very reason why Donald Trump actually keeps them in the team [19:49] because they bring, their mere presence brings the very credible threat of further military action. [19:56] Listen, Witkoff and Kushner are extraordinarily close to Israel, [20:00] and I think that that's one of the reasons why they're there. [20:02] And clearly the Vice President is someone who is very apprehensive about going into this war in the first place, [20:09] which is why the Iranians want him in the negotiation. [20:11] But he's also very highly, highly ranking. [20:14] So, I mean, from a diplomatic standpoint, but also from a prestige standpoint, [20:18] getting the Vice President to do the face-to-face talks. [20:20] And I would make one other point. [20:23] People talk about the unconventional approach, [20:25] but this is the first time we've had face-to-face negotiations in the half a century. [20:28] Good on Trump for doing that. [20:29] Well, no, the JCPOA. [20:31] Well, those were not face-to-face. [20:33] I mean... [20:34] They negotiated for a month and a half, or excuse me, for a year and a half, [20:37] with the full thrust of the U.S. government. [20:40] But the Vice President was not meeting with them personally. [20:42] So this is the big deal of what they've done here. [20:46] And I think that this covers the whole range here with both the Vice President [20:51] and with these two, Witkoff and Kushner, who are very close to Israel. [20:55] So since you mentioned J.D. Vance, let's listen to what Donald Trump had to say. [20:59] Half-jokingly, I have to admit, you may have heard this before. [21:02] Let's listen to what the President said about J.D. Vance and sending him to the talks in Islamabad, Pakistan. [21:09] So if it doesn't happen, I'm blaming J.D. Vance. [21:12] If it does happen, I'm taking full credit. [21:15] Okay. [21:17] I was just wondering your reading of that moment. [21:19] It's half in jest, half a joke, but half not a joke. [21:24] It's true. [21:26] Okay. [21:26] Trump's going to take credit if it's a success. [21:29] And if it fails, he's going to blame somebody else because that's how he operates. [21:32] Am I right about that? [21:33] I think I agree completely. [21:35] Yeah. [21:35] Why send J.D. Vance then, in your view, to the negotiation, [21:39] given that he already had a tandem, a duo that he was happy with? [21:44] I think there are a few reasons. [21:45] One reason is, as I just said, the Iranians apparently signaled that they wanted him at [21:51] the table. [21:52] And as you pointed out, their last two rounds of negotiations with Mr. Wyckoff and Mr. [21:59] Kushner ended up in them being bombed. [22:01] So I think that's the first reason. [22:03] I think the second reason, and John's probably better placed to address this than I am, but [22:10] I think the second reason is, let's face it, President Trump is prosecuting an unpopular [22:16] war. [22:16] It's particularly divisive for his base, who thought they were electing a president who [22:22] had promised no new wars, and that's not what they delivered. [22:27] By sending the most prominent member of the administration identified with the anti-interventionist [22:33] wing, I think he helps shore up his base. [22:38] What does this do for J.D. Vance in the perspective of the next presidential run, 2028? [22:42] He's one of the names, obviously, one of the people as the vice president, the most, possibly [22:46] the most obvious candidate to represent the Republicans. [22:50] Well, first of all, it gives him great experience. [22:52] The ability to be part of really high-level negotiations, to sit there 20 hours with an [22:59] implacable enemy. [23:01] For him, this is good for the resume. [23:05] But also, I think... [23:06] It's only good if he actually delivers a deal. [23:08] Well, we'll see. [23:09] I mean, I think that ultimately, the experience lasts a lifetime. [23:13] And I also think that as someone who's well-known as being kind of against this war, if he can [23:18] get us out of this war, that'll make the MAGA folks who do not like this war. [23:23] I mean, the MAGA movement's pretty split, but most people are very uncomfortable with [23:27] what we've done here. [23:28] And if the president really did kind of campaign on the idea, he'd keep us out of unpopular [23:32] wars. [23:33] So if Vance can get us out of this war, that will really kind of make him a hero to the [23:39] MAGA movement. [23:40] Ambassador, you think this is a win for J.D. Vance, ultimately? [23:44] I think it's a win if he brings home a settlement. [23:48] And I think it's a loss for his presidential aspirations if it goes belly up. [23:56] I want to thank our guests today for joining us, Republican and political communication [24:01] strategist John Fury and former U.S. ambassador and deputy assistant secretary of state for [24:06] Near Eastern Affairs, Gordon Gray. [24:08] Thank you very much to both of you for being with us. [24:10] Thank you. [24:10] Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff in particular have been under the social media microscope [24:15] for their roles in this negotiation, as we've discussed, and many in the public arena, [24:20] asking whether they are the right men for the job. [24:23] Alex Beard has more. [24:24] Democratic Senator Chris Murphy lit the fuse online with this. [24:31] His damning review of Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. [24:34] Two negotiators, no diplomatic experience, and in way over their heads. [24:40] The clap back just as fast. [24:42] Supporters trying to correct Murphy, reminding him that Kushner was key in negotiating the [24:47] Abraham Accords in 2020. [24:49] That series of Israeli normalization agreements with the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. [24:54] But conservative journalist Peter Laffin is flipping that script, saying the experience [24:58] can only mean empty credentials awarded to mediocrities of no achievement. [25:04] More of those Lego AI videos doing the rounds, claiming Kushner's marriage to the president's [25:08] daughter is the only thing that got him here. [25:11] Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Glenn Greenwald saying, why would Iran want to deal with Kushner, [25:16] who they see as a supporter of Israel, or with Witkoff, who they see as unsuitable? [25:21] This 60 Minutes interview with Kushner last year, doing the rounds once again. [25:26] What people call conflicts of interest, Steve and I call experience and trusted relationships. [25:33] Adam Cochran's breakdown, saying this is all pretty simple, and that the choice of negotiators [25:37] sends a clear message to Tehran. [25:40] No chance of a deal? [25:41] Send Witkoff and Kushner. [25:42] Low chance with possible humiliation? [25:44] Send Vice President J.D. Vance. [25:46] High chance of a good outcome, but still some talking needed. [25:49] Send Secretary of State Marco Rubio. [25:52] And a done deal. [25:53] Send President Donald Trump. [25:56] And that is all from the team here out of our Washington studio. [26:00] Today we've been looking at the people who make up Donald Trump's trusted team of negotiators [26:04] and what they're expected to achieve in diplomatic talks with Iran. [26:08] On This Is America, we'll keep following the decisions that shape the United States [26:11] and influence the rest of the world. [26:13] If you want to catch up on this episode or previous ones, head to our website, aljazeera.com, [26:18] or check out our YouTube channel. [26:20] John Holman looks ahead to our next show. [26:24] On the next edition of This Is America, at this time of neither peace nor war, we'll be [26:29] focusing what this stalemate will cost the U.S. and Iran until they reach a deal. [26:34] That's Tuesday at 18.30 GMT or 14.30 Eastern. [26:39] Bye for now.