The diplomatic gamble in Switzerland has unravelled. In a move that has left European allies scrambling and oil markets in turmoil, the White House has ordered the immediate withdrawal of Vice President JD Vance from Geneva after US-Iran nuclear talks imploded this morning. The abrupt recall, confirmed by a senior administration official, follows Iran's refusal to halt uranium enrichment beyond 60% purity, a red line for Washington.
Vance was expected to deliver a final proposal to the Iranian delegation, but sources inside the room said the talks descended into acrimony after Tehran demanded an end to all sanctions as a precondition. One diplomat described the atmosphere as 'electric hostility.' The collapse will reignite fears of a regional conflict, with Iran's centrifuges spinning closer to weapons-grade capability.
For working families, the consequences are immediate: oil prices, already high, are predicted to spike by $10 a barrel by Monday. Petrol prices at the pump, which have been squeezing household budgets for months, will rise further. The real economy will feel this more acutely than the financial headlines suggest.
Every extra pound on a tank of fuel is a slice taken from a family's weekly shop. Meanwhile, the union movement, which has been vocal against war, will see this as a failure of diplomatic nerve. The AFL-CIO had urged the administration to stay at the table.
Now, with Vance recalled and diplomacy in tatters, the question hangs: what next for a nation already battered by inflation and stagnant wages?
