U.S. Envoy Claims Washington Seeks Peace Deal with Iran, Cites Diplomatic Efforts

According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria and Iraq, Tom Barrack, claimed that Washington is seeking to reach a peaceful agreement with Iran, and that President Donald Trump remains prepared for negotiations with Tehran. Barrack, speaking at the Global Security Forum in Doha, Qatar, identified mistrust between the United States and Iran as a primary obstacle to progress in negotiations, without referencing U.S. breaches of commitment during past talks. He indicated that diplomatic efforts, with mediation from Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, and Switzerland, are continuing to de-escalate tensions.

He suggested that a revised version of the Islamabad understanding could serve as a basis for resuming negotiations. According to Barrack, such an agreement could encompass a ceasefire, the reopening of maritime routes, and measures to alleviate economic pressure on Iran. The U.S. envoy also acknowledged that Iran’s political future should be determined by its people, not by externally imposed regime change.

Barrack referenced the history of U.S. military interventions in the Middle East, stating that attempts to change leaders and governments have repeatedly proven to be mistaken. He asserted that the U.S. has intervened in 23 instances to alter regimes across the broader Middle East, but these actions have not yielded the expected results. Responding to a question about whether the war waged by the United States and Israel against Iran was a mistake, he stated, “I don’t know if it was a mistake or not.”

Barrack claimed that the Trump administration’s initial objective in launching military operations against Iran on February 28th was to counter what Washington perceived as an imminent nuclear threat, rather than to change Iran’s government. Highlighting the unintended consequences of war in the region and beyond, he emphasized that the U.S. government does not wish for this conflict to continue and described the situation arising from the war as “horrific.”