Jim Townsend suggests that public posturing and tactical maneuvering are shaping US-Iran negotiations. He believes that meaningful progress will instead rely on mediation, building trust incrementally, and extending ceasefires.

Genie Godula is pleased to welcome Jim Townsend, Adjunct Senior Fellow in the CNAS Transatlantic Security Program and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (DASD) for European and NATO Policy. According to Townsend, US–Iran negotiations are shaped by tactical manoeuvering: a pre-negotiation ritual in which both sides position themselves strategically through public posturing and calculated obstruction. Ultimately, meaningful progress will depend on mediation, incremental trust-building, a...