Diplomatic efforts to revive the Iran nuclear deal have been thrown into disarray following a phone call between former US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Sources familiar with the conversation described the exchange as “crazy” and “unhinged”, leading to a sudden suspension of negotiations between Washington and Tehran.
The call, which took place late on Wednesday, was initiated by Trump, who is reportedly seeking to undermine the Biden administration’s nuclear diplomacy. Netanyahu, a longtime critic of the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is said to have been receptive to Trump’s proposals, which included a promise to fast-track military aid to Israel if he returns to office.
European diplomats, who have been mediating the talks in Vienna, expressed alarm at the development. One senior EU official told Reuters: “We were close to a breakthrough. Now it is all falling apart. The United States cannot negotiate with two voices.” The official added that the Iranian delegation had already walked out of the room when news of the call reached them.
The White House has declined to comment on the specifics of the call, but a spokesperson said President Biden “remains fully committed to a diplomatic solution” and accused “outside actors” of trying to sabotage the talks. Meanwhile, Trump’s office issued a statement saying the former president “continues to support a strong Israel and a peaceful resolution to the Iranian threat.”
The implications of this disruption are significant. A revitalised nuclear deal would have capped Iran’s uranium enrichment and lifted sanctions, potentially stabilising the broader Middle East. Instead, the region now faces a renewed risk of escalation. Iran has already resumed enriching uranium to near weapons-grade levels and has repeatedly threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz. Israel, for its part, has warned that it will not tolerate a nuclear-armed Iran and has hinted at pre-emptive strikes.
The chaos also highlights the fragility of US foreign policy when subjected to partisan interference. Trump’s willingness to undercut his successor’s initiatives, and Netanyahu’s readiness to align with a former president over the current one, underscores the erosion of institutional norms. For decades, nuclear negotiations were treated as a matter of national security beyond domestic politics. That convention now lies in tatters.
Analysts caution that the damage may be irreversible. “Iran will not trust the United States to honour any agreement if it can be overturned by a phone call,” said Dr. Lina Khatib of Chatham House. “The only way forward now is either more pressure or more confrontation.”
As the world watches, the prospects for diplomacy dim. The phone call, which participants described as bizarre and disruptive, may come to be seen as the moment the Iran deal finally died — not through formal withdrawal, but through the sheer force of political chaos.
