Amid fresh strikes, what does diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran entail?

Summary

Consider This from NPR: "Amid fresh strikes, what does diplomacy between the U.S. and Iran entail?"

Date: May 26, 2026
Host: Scott Detrow
Guests: Franco Ordoñez (NPR White House Correspondent), Aya Batrawi (NPR Correspondent, Dubai)
Episode Length: ~9 minutes (excluding ads)

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Overview:

This episode explores the precarious state of U.S.-Iran diplomacy after new American strikes in southern Iran, examining the impact of these escalations on ongoing peace negotiations. Host Scott Detrow, with NPR correspondents Franco Ordoñez and Aya Batrawi, dissects the fluctuating U.S. narrative, Iran's hardened stance, and the broader Middle Eastern diplomatic climate, including Israel’s pivotal role and the reluctance of regional states to shift alliances.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Escalation Amid Diplomacy Efforts

• Background:

  • The U.S., while pursuing a peace deal, carried out attacks targeting missile launch sites and Iranian boats near the Strait of Hormuz (00:00).
  • Iran labeled the strikes a violation of the existing ceasefire and retaliated by downing a U.S. drone (00:00–00:41).

• Quote:

  • Marco Rubio: "It's illegal. It's unsustainable for the world. It's unacceptable." (00:32)
  • Rubio emphasizes the seriousness with which the U.S. frames Iran’s actions and the fragility of ongoing negotiations.

2. U.S. Political Whiplash and Deal Making

• Trump Administration’s Position:

  • President Trump initially claimed a deal was imminent to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, but quickly reversed tone, saying there was “no rush” (02:45–02:53, 05:04–05:12).
  • Trump is under electoral pressure due to the war's unpopularity (02:55).
  • Internal Republican pushback: Lindsey Graham and Mike Pompeo voiced skepticism or outright opposition, arguing any deal risks regional dominance for Iran and does not align with "America First" (02:55–04:11).

• Quote:

  • "It's either going to be a good deal or there isn't going to be one." – Marco Rubio (00:38)
  • "This was the most emphatic that he's been about an upcoming deal." – Franco Ordoñez (05:12)

3. Iran’s Demands and Distrust

• Iran’s Response:

  • Iran accuses the U.S. of bad faith, calling the attacks proof of “malice” (04:18).
  • The regime’s distrust is rooted in the Trump administration’s prior withdrawal from the nuclear deal and past conflicts initiated during negotiation periods (06:00).
  • Now, Iran seeks substantial “confidence-building measures”:
    • Immediate unfreezing of $12 billion in Qatari-held funds, with a further $12 billion contingent on ceasefire extension (06:00–06:40).
    • End of Israel’s war in Lebanon—a high hurdle, given ongoing Israeli operations and its government’s opposition (06:40–07:30).

• Quote:

  • "Once again, this exposes the malice and bad faith of the US Toward Iran." – Aya Batrawi relaying Iranian Foreign Ministry’s statement (04:18)
  • "No agreement is possible until the agreed amount is deposited because of past breaches of trust." – Aya Batrawi on Iranian negotiators' stance (06:35)

4. Israel and Regional Implications

• Israeli Opposition:

  • Israeli PM Netanyahu opposes any ceasefire that would constrain Israeli operations in Lebanon (06:40–07:30).
  • Trump, to win Israeli buy-in, proposes to expand diplomatic ties via the Abraham Accords as part of the deal, further complicating negotiations (07:34–07:43).

• Quote:

  • "The Abraham Accords are seen by Iran as anti Iran." – Franco Ordoñez (07:43)

5. Reaction of Regional Powers

• Reluctance of Neighbors:

  • Regional heavyweights like Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia show hesitation about any U.S.-backed proposal that requires them to normalize ties with Israel, particularly without progress for Palestinian statehood (08:22–08:57);
  • Saudi Arabia reaffirms its long-standing position of linking Israel ties to a Palestinian state.

• Quote:

  • "These are heavyweights that can't be pushed into a decision like this that is rejected by their populations just because Trump says so." – Aya Batrawi (08:23)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the fragility of diplomacy:
  • "This is only an interim deal, but now Iran has leverage they didn't have before this war and that's their control over the Strait of Hormuz." – Aya Batrawi (06:00)
• On shifting U.S. positions:
  • "He has publicly suggested that a deal was near more than a half dozen times dating back all the way to late March… But then of course, it doesn't happen." – Franco Ordoñez (05:12)
• On regional skepticism:
  • "We haven't seen any official statements in response… which suggests that this isn't something being given serious attention." – Aya Batrawi (08:23)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00–00:41 – Recap of U.S. strikes, Iran's response, and initial framing by U.S. officials
• 02:20–02:44 – Introduction of correspondents
• 02:45–04:11 – U.S. perspectives, internal political dynamics
• 04:18–05:00 – Iran’s viewpoint, regime distrust, and regional context
• 06:00–07:30 – Specific demands from Iran; role of Israel and Lebanon
• 07:43–08:23 – Expansion of Abraham Accords, resistance from Israel and regional states
• 08:23–08:57 – Regional powers’ reactions and the conditionality on Palestinian statehood

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Summary

This episode highlights the complexity of negotiating peace with Iran amidst ongoing military action and mutual distrust. While President Trump publicly oscillates between optimism and caution, internal U.S. divisions and Iran’s hardened negotiating stance, including financial and geopolitical demands, create a stall in progress. Israel remains staunchly opposed to any deal seen as favorable to Iran or limiting its operations, while regional powers are unwilling to shift alliances without substantial concessions for Palestinians. Despite diplomatic overtures, real breakthroughs remain elusive as tensions in the region—and on the world stage—remain high.

Transcript

[Scott Detrow]

It's Consider this where every day we go deep on one big news story today, a peace deal in jeopardy. On Monday, while trying to negotiate an end to the war, the United States launched new attacks in self defense in southern Iran. That is according to US Central Command. The targets, missile launch sites and Iranian boats trying to lay mines near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says the US Strikes violated the ceasefire currently in place and in retaliation shot down a US Drone overnight.

[Marco Rubio]

It's illegal. It's unsustainable for the world. It's unacceptable.

[Scott Detrow]

That's Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaking to reporters Tuesday in India.

[Marco Rubio]

It's either going to be a good deal or there isn't going to be one.

[Scott Detrow]

Consider this. This new round of attacks comes as both sides ramp up talks about ending the war. But is there still a path forward with Iran? From npr, I'm Scott Detrow.

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[Scott Detrow]

It's consider this from npr. Despite the violence, neither Iran nor the United States appear to be pulling back on diplomatic efforts to reach an interim deal to end the almost three month war that has brought shipping to a halt in the Strait of Hormuz and affected the global economy. To tell us more, I'm joined by NPR White House correspondent Franco Ordonez and NPR's correspondent in Dubai, Aya Batrawi. Hey to both of you.

[Aya Batrawi]

Hi.

[Franco Ordonez]

Hey, Scott.

[Scott Detrow]

Franco, let me start with you. President Trump announced a deal was in

[Unnamed Interviewer or Moderator]

the final stages and then a day later said there was no rush.

[Scott Detrow]

What do you make of, yet again,

[Unnamed Interviewer or Moderator]

another round of whiplash like this?

[Franco Ordonez]

Yeah, Trump kicked off the weekend kind of hailing a groundbreaking deal that would be announced shortly. And, you know, of course, Trump's been under a lot of pressure to reach a deal as soon as possible. Polls show that the war is unpopular, and he's also making Republicans worry about their chances in this fall's midterm elections. Now, over the weekend, Trump didn't offer details about what that deal would be, other than to say that the Strait of Hormuz would be open. But what was really fascinating is that one of his biggest allies, Senator Lyn Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, went public with his opposition, basically blasting a potential deal that he argued would allow Iran to be a dominant force in the region and even questioned whether the war would have been worth it. He, of course, Scott, was not the only Republican. Trump's former Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, from the first administration, said the deal was not remotely America first, adding that it looked like it was being negotiated by officials from the Obama administration that received a rebuke from Trump officials. And yet by Sunday, Trump was taking or talking a very different tune, saying that while negotiations were ongoing, that, as you noted, there was no rush. And then we had the strikes from yesterday, which the Trump administration called defensive.

[Unnamed Interviewer or Moderator]

So that's the US Side of things. Ayo, what is Iran saying about a possible deal and these attacks?

[Aya Batrawi]

So Iran's Foreign Ministry says this is yet another violation of the ceasefire. And that, quote, once again, this exposes the malice and bad faith of the US Toward Iran. And they note that this happened alongside side efforts at diplomacy. And Tehran says this is part of the criminal nature of the US Toward Iran. Also, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard Aerospace force said they stand ready to respond upon the directive of Iran's supreme Leader, Mustaba Khamenei, who has not been seen or heard from since his father, the former supreme leader, his mother, wife and child were killed on the first day of this war in Israeli airstrikes. But Khamenei did release a written message today. He said that countries in the region will no longer be shields for American military bases.

[Scott Detrow]

Franco, let's go back to the US Side. Trump seemed to be taking almost a

[Unnamed Interviewer or Moderator]

victory lap in that initial announcement.

[Scott Detrow]

But is it fair to say this is becoming a trend here, announcing an imminent deal, then pulling back?

[Franco Ordonez]

I mean, I would say it was. I mean, I took a quick look this morning, and while I'd say this was the most emphatic that he's been about an upcoming deal. I mean, he has publicly suggested that a deal was near more than a half dozen times dating back all the way to late March when he said Iran wants to make a deal. I mean, he's repeated several different variations, that a deal is closed, that an agreement was largely negotiated, that a framework exists, and that the agreement would be finalized shortly. But then of course, it doesn't happen. And the reality is that while the president has repeatedly kind of projected this optimism, there has yet to be anything concrete or yet to be anything finalized.

[Unnamed Interviewer or Moderator]

And amid all this, Iran's position on these talks has been pretty tough.

[Scott Detrow]

Aya, tell us what the, the specific demands are, right?

[Aya Batrawi]

I mean, these talks are just a kickstarter for there to be direct talks again between the US And Iran. So this is only an interim deal, but now Iran has leverage they didn't have before this war and that's their control over the Strait of Hormuz. And this hardened regime does not trust the Trump administration. Trump withdrew the US From Iran's nuclear deal with the US in his first term. And then wars were launched on Iran during the last two rounds of nuclear talks in June and then in February. And now Iran is demanding what they call confidence building measures due to that distrust. Scott, what they want is they want the US to unfreeze their money that is locked in accounts in Qatar. And this was the focus of talks yesterday in Qatar by a senior Iranian delegation that included the head of Iran's negotiation team and the head of Iran's central bank. Iranian state media say Iran wants $12 billion to be accessible at the start of any interim deal, that the other half, the remaining $12 billion be transferred during the next 60 days of any ceasefire extension. And they said no agreement is possible until the agreed amount is deposited because of past breaches of trust. Another demand, Scott, is that Iran wants an end to Israel's war in Lebanon, where Israeli troops occupy a huge part of the south and are fighting Iran backed Hezbollah. But Israel wants to continue that war, which has killed more than 3,000 Lebanese, according to Lebanon's Health Ministry. Now Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Trump assured him Israel can continue to carry out operations in Lebanon, which he described as self defense. Israeli officials also tell NPR Netanyahu does not want to end the Iran either.

[Unnamed Interviewer or Moderator]

And Franco Israel is opposed to Trump's efforts to try to make a deal with Iran.

[Scott Detrow]

So Trump is now trying to include as part of that deal an expansion of diplomatic ties with Israel and other countries in the Middle East. How would that complicate things?

[Franco Ordonez]

I mean, look, the Abraham Accords are seen by Iran as anti Iran. And it was part of the initial announcement that Trump thanked all the intermediaries, like Pakistan, like Saudi Arabia, who assisted with the negotiations. But Trump also emphasized that their efforts would go further by joining the Abraham Accords, you know, the regional agreement that seeks to normalize relations with Israel. Now, this is not necessarily new. Trump has previously said that any agreement should include a requirement that the countries join the accords. But this really looks to be an effort to entice Israel to accept the deal. And Netanyahu has also faced criticism over the deal.

[Scott Detrow]

EA how have countries in the region

[Unnamed Interviewer or Moderator]

responded to all of this?

[Aya Batrawi]

I mean, we're talking about countries like Turkey and Pakistan as well. These are heavyweights that can't be pushed into a, a decision like this that is rejected by their populations just because Trump says so. And while there has been some commentary, we haven't seen any official statements in response to this which suggests that this isn't something being given serious attention. There was a report in the Saudi owned Al Arabeya quoting an unnamed Saudi official who simply repeated Saudi Arabia's long stated position that any deal with Israel is contingent on there being a pathway toward a Palestinian state. But that is something Israeli leaders say will not happen.

[Scott Detrow]

That is NPR's Ayo Batrawy and Franco Ordonez. Thanks to both of you.

[Franco Ordonez]

Thank you, Scott.

[Aya Batrawi]

Thanks a lot.

[Scott Detrow]

This episode was produced by Alejandra Marques Honza and Karen Zamora with audio engineering by Ted Mebane. It was edited by James Heider, Rebecca Metzler and Timbit Ermias. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun. It's considered this from npr. I'm Scott Detrowed.