Former diplomats tell TIME that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff, who led the Iran negotiations with Vice President JD Vance, lack the expertise and diplomatic experience needed to secure an agreement. That, they warn, risks prolonging the war and further destabilizing the global economy.
Miller pointed to Kushner and Witkoff’s track record, citing failed negotiations between Russia and Ukraine and stalled negotiations between Israel and Hamas as Israel continued its strikes in Gaza. He argued that while even the most experienced negotiators would face steep challenges in such conflicts, Kushner and Witkoff failed to convey to either side the sense of urgency that a desirable deal was within reach—an essential condition for pushing negotiations forward.
Asked about Kushner and Witkoff’s future roles in the Iran discussion, a White House official told TIME that Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Witkoff and Kushner “have been working together on these discussions and will continue to do so.”
David Satterfield, a former U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and a career diplomat for four decades, warned that if the administration cannot clearly articulate a set of strategic goals—both internally and publicly—the chance of reaching a deal with Iran will diminish.
Before joining the Trump administration, both Kushner and Witkoff were real estate businessmen with no government experience. Kushner, who serves the White House as a Special Envoy for Peace, has touted his diplomatic approach centered on finding shared interests.
He has also been accused of downplaying the importance of historical context in negotiations. During the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, Kushner said in an interview with Lex Fridman that he had told previous envoys in the Middle East, “I don't need a headache, and I don't need a history lesson.”
At a summit hosted by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund two weeks ago, Kushner said that “peace is not that different from business,” and that he had been able to leverage business relationships in diplomacy.
“I'm not saying you need to be a diplomat to be a good negotiator. Henry Kissinger was not a diplomat. My former boss, James Baker, was not a diplomat. But you need to have some sense of history, and you need to know geography,” he added.
Lack of nuclear expertise complicates negotiations
“The negotiator at the table has to think about how the domestic audiences will affect the outcome,” Einhorn said. “And I think the negotiator on a nuclear issue is more constrained by his or her government bureaucracy and by public opinion.”
“What does it mean, zero enrichment?” Einhorn asked. “Does it mean no infrastructure supporting enrichment? Does it mean that already existing enriched uranium, including the 440 kilos of highly enriched uranium, would have to be exported or diluted? You have to have experts that understand the various dimensions of the problem.”
Key sticking points unresolved
The duration of the moratorium on Iran’s uranium enrichment was another sticking point. The U.S. proposed a 20-year moratorium on Iran’s uranium enrichment, while Iranian officials countered with a shorter “single digit” period.
More importantly, Miller added, the advisors must be willing to confront the president on the potential consequences of his decisions—something current administration officials have not done since the Iran War began on Feb. 28, according to Bloomberg.
Such frank internal debate, he argued, depends on advisers willing to risk the consequences.
“Trump had four secretaries of defense in his first term. He had six national security advisors [during his two terms]. They know what happens if they embarrass the president or they become a problem.”
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