00:00The first round of negotiations between the United States and Iran in Switzerland
00:04has ended with encouraging progress, mediators from Qatar and Pakistan said.
00:09For the view from an experienced diplomat,
00:11Euronews' Maeve McMahon spoke to Wendy Sherman,
00:15Barack Obama's chief negotiator on the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement.
00:19She asked her about her thoughts on the long road ahead to a peace agreement.
00:25I don't think that President Trump should have undertaken this war.
00:30It has been disastrous, not only for the people in the United States,
00:33but for people all around the world and for people in Iran,
00:38which is how he started all of this.
00:41But their lives are worse, not better.
00:44So given where we are, I think we are all glad that the Strait of Hormuz is opening.
00:51I wouldn't say it is open really fully yet, but opening.
00:56I think it's good that they are negotiating.
01:00But what is really occurring is not clear because the United States is saying one thing
01:05and Iran is saying something else.
01:07But better to have talks than not.
01:10Indeed, it's better to talk.
01:12And just based on your assessment on what we know so far,
01:15on your understanding of the framework of deal,
01:17what is your first takeaway, if you like?
01:19Well, my first takeaway is the MOU gives Iran quite a bit for not very much.
01:25Really, it's to get the Strait of Hormuz open and get the world economy moving again.
01:30For the United States to remove all oil sanctions after 40 years of sanctions is just extraordinary.
01:39It's quite a price to pay for getting the Strait open.
01:42I think that if the IAEA, the International Atomic Energy Agency, gets back into Iran,
01:49even though Iran says that is not agreed, that would be a very positive thing,
01:54because you can't do anything in the negotiations or anything that you resolve
01:59without knowing that you can verify and monitor what the reality is.
02:03And we need the IAEA on the ground to be able to do that.
02:07I'm glad they're discussing Lebanon, if they are indeed doing so.
02:12Israel has said they are beginning talks with Lebanon.
02:16I think that the president of Lebanon has said that he requires Israel to leave
02:22all of their occupation of Lebanon.
02:24There is a very long way to go.
02:26In fact, I think at the end of the day,
02:29unfortunately, Iran is in a stronger position, not a weaker one.
02:33Does that mean Iran has essentially won this war?
02:35I do think that Iran has certainly put itself in a stronger position.
02:41They can close the Strait of Hormuz at any point that they want.
02:45They have shown that they are resilient, that a military effort alone cannot undo them,
02:52which I've known for a long time.
02:56The only good thing that's come out of this is that perhaps that people have finally understood
03:01that diplomacy is necessary, military action will not solve this problem.
03:08And we see it's Steve Whitcoff and Jared Kushner, the main negotiators here.
03:11Do you think they have enough understanding of the complexity of the issues?
03:15Well, I think the problem is that to do this negotiation, you really need a team of people.
03:21You need nuclear physicists, people who understand sanctions, people who understand currency,
03:29intelligence assets, lawyers, a whole manor, a whole team.
03:35And it doesn't appear that that exists now.
03:37And you, of course, personally know the Iranian foreign minister.
03:40You negotiated with him in the past on the Iran nuclear deal.
03:43So what cards do you think he'll play this time around?
03:45Well, Abbas Arachi is very smart, very capable, very litiginous, as all Iranian negotiators are.
03:53Every word matters.
03:56Agreement on it matters.
03:58Details matter.
04:00What I really fear is that we've put Iran in a stronger position to dictate the terms of peace in
04:07Lebanon.
04:08And that is not good for Israel.
04:10Quite frankly, that's not good for anyone.
04:13Not among the Gulf states or in the region.
04:15We've seen American taxpayers paying the price of this war, but also here in Europe.
04:20But Europeans not having much of a say in the negotiations.
04:23Any tips or advice for European leaders on what card they should be playing here?
04:27I think continuing to have dialogue with the United States in whatever way you can,
04:32with Secretary Rubio and others, with any ambassadors or chargés that are in place
04:38to make your interests known and how you might help,
04:44as we all hope for more peace in the future and less horror.
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