politics
March 18, 2026
UK Official Who Attended US/Iran Negotiations Believed New Nuclear Deal Was Within Reach
A recent report detailing that the British believed the U.S. could reach a new Iran nuclear deal adds to the possibility that purposefully-failed negotiations were used as cover to go to war, a scenario that The Brookings Institute outlined in 2009.
TL;DR
- British National Security Adviser Jonathan Powell believed a significant deal was possible during U.S.-Iran nuclear negotiations.
- Powell attended the final round of talks and thought Iran's proposal was substantial enough to prevent war.
- Despite positive signs and a scheduled follow-up meeting, the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran days later.
- This sequence of events supports the theory that negotiations may have been used as a cover for a pre-planned military strike.
- A 2009 Brookings Institute report detailed a strategy of using failed peaceful talks to justify military action against Iran.
- U.S. negotiators, including Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, lacked sufficient technical expertise, relying on the IAEA director.
- Powell brought his own UK technical team, who were surprised by the progress made by Iran.
- The UK assessed that diplomatic options were not exhausted and the attack was premature and potentially unlawful.
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