Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Anticipated Peace Talks Not Happening
As last week came to an end, there was an impression among those following the peace talks between Iran and the US that there were more talks coming this week-end. Quite why they believed this is hard to say as Iran never said it was going to talk to the US. The Iranian Foreign Minister did go to Islamabad to deliver Iranian demands to the Pakistani mediators, but never did Tehran say they would talk to representatives from Washington. When Mr. Trump finally realized there were no Iranians with whom to talk, he canceled the trip his son-in-law and business buddy were going to make.
Negotiations are in order at this stage, but both sides need to show up serious about talks. Frankly, both parties remain stuck in maximalist positions that are making a settlement difficult. For example, the US troops are not leaving their bases in the region, nor will Iran stop all nuclear research. Yet both sides are so dug in that it is hard to see a way forward.
The Christian Science Monitor reported"
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi earlier left the Pakistani capital without any sign of a breakthrough in talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other senior officials.Araqchi later described his visit to Pakistan as "very fruitful," adding in a social media post that he had "shared Iran's position concerning (a) workable framework to permanently end the war on Iran. Have yet to see if the U.S. is truly serious about diplomacy."
The same news organizatoin stated:
Trump said in a social media post that he had called off the planned visit by his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner, citing what he said was tremendous confusion within the Iranian leadership.
"Too much time wasted on traveling, too much work! Besides which, there is tremendous infighting and confusion within their "leadership." Nobody knows who is in charge, including them. Also, we have all the cards, they have none! If they want to talk, all they have to do is call!!!" he wrote.
It is quite clear that there is a cultural divide here that neither side seems able to overcome. Mr. Trump negotiates like the New York City developer he is. That is a quick style focused on getting the deal done in broad strokes and letting the lawyers polish up the language right before the deal is signed. The Iranian approach is to pour over every detail and to take their time in considering every angle. It is quite easy for both to see the other as unserious because they are negotiating in different styles.
That said, it seems the US side is not reading the situation correctly. If the US has all the cards and Iran has none, why is the Strait of Hormuz closed? Why does the US need to blockade Iranian ports? Why is the oil not flowing to the refineries and consumers?
Pakistani PM Shehbaz Sharif posted n X Saturday that he had "a most warm, cordial exchange of views on the current regional situation" with Araghchi, in which they discussed "matters of mutual interest, including the further strengthening of Pakistan–Iran bilateral relations." Perhaps, this meeting was misconstrued by Washington as being related to the US-Iran conflict.
Be that as it may, the question becomes "what is next?" It is possible that Pakistan, the mediator in this negotiation, can get both sides to agree to some kind of small confidence-building deal, if only a reiteration that the ceasefire is unaffected by this impasse. Or it may be that the ceasefire is about to collapse.
The pollyanna equity and debt markets are about to be jolted into reality, which means lower prices for stocks and bonds, higher prices for petroleum products. And if the shooting starts, those price changes will be even greater.
The best for which one can hope is a period of anxious non-combat while shipping in and out of the Gulf increases under the eyes of both the US and Iran.
© Copyright 2026 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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