By: Naji Ali Amhaz

In the corridors of international diplomacy, it is often said that negotiating with the Iranians is like weaving a Persian carpet: it requires immense patience, meticulous precision, and a coldness of nerve that eventually consumes the opponent's spirit. However, in the "Islamabad Negotiations" of 2026, the situation transcended mere maneuvering to enter a zone of political and medical peril. The stakes were not just a deal; it was the psychological "stability" of U.S. President Donald Trump and his nervous system in the face of the Iranian school of "attrition."

A House Divided: The U.S. Delegation and the Threat of Resignation
The story began with a deep rift within the U.S. administration. The American delegation was led by Vice President JD Vance (tasked with representing Trump’s hawkish vision), while the Iranian side was led by Speaker of Parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. The conflict was not only with the Iranians but was also internal.

JD Vance threatened to resign from the negotiating committee due to Trump’s "public" behavior, which almost blew the lid off the secrecy of the deliberations. The friction with the Vice President arose because Trump was exerting immense pressure on the mediator, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, demanding real-time briefings.

The result was catastrophic for diplomatic discipline: Sharif would tell him, "The Iranians have agreed in principle," and Trump would immediately tweet to the world, "We will sign a historic deal within hours!" An hour later, Sharif would inform him of a technical objection, and Trump would explode before the cameras: "We will strike them hard! All options are on the table!" This volatility made the U.S. delegation feel like failures, and the Pakistani host nearly gave up.

"Trump is the Problem."
At a critical juncture, JD Vance asked the Iranians bluntly: "Are we reaching an agreement, or should I return to Washington?" The Iranian response was shocking: "Our problem is Trump." The Iranians told the delegation that Trump "cannot be trusted with the secrets of the deliberations" and demanded "absolute silence" as a condition for moving forward. This led to a clash between Vance and Trump; the President wanted a "victory parade" for his base, while the Iranians wanted "calm" to market the deal domestically, regionally, and internationally.

Eventually, Trump submitted to a restless "declarative truce," which lasted only until field events ignited it.

The War of Paper: Two Pages vs. A "Book"
In one of the darker ironies of these talks, the Trump administration sent a draft of terms consisting of just two A4 pages. The Iranian delegation asked for a week to respond. They returned with a massive "Book" filled with detailed responses, legal footnotes, and complex interpretations. Looking at the volume, Trump remarked with bitter sarcasm: "My presidency might end before I finish reading the Iranian response." He then ordered his team to prepare a condensed summary just to cope with the "administrative attrition."

The "Yoga" of Diplomacy and the Labyrinth of Power
Trump’s famous posts—"Iran is having a hard time identifying its leader! They simply don’t know!" and "There is tremendous infighting and confusion within their so-called leadership"—were a direct reflection of his frustration.

Tehran practiced "Political Yoga." Every time the Iranian delegation agreed on a point, they requested the formation of a "technical committee" to study it, which took weeks. Washington was sucked into a vortex of committees. After each study, the Americans were told: "We agree... but we are waiting for the approval of the Revolutionary Guard... then the Parliament... then the Government... then the Presidency." Just as Trump’s excitement reached its peak, he would be told: "Only the Supreme Leader’s approval remains." When the Americans asked for a timeline, the answer was: "Reaching the Leader takes time for security reasons; his location is unknown."

This cycle repeated for every single clause. Finally, Trump reached his breaking point, shouting: "For God’s sake, I just want to see the Leader! I want to know who is ruling this country!" Trump became so skeptical that he believed the Leader might have been martyred or severely incapacitated, leading him to finally agree to sign the deal "online" just to escape the labyrinth.

Anger at Netanyahu and the Swiss Failure
The tension was not limited to the negotiation rooms; it extended to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, who triggered Trump’s "fits of rage" twice:

Mid-June 2026: The Iranian delegation suspended their travel to Switzerland to protest Israeli strikes in South Lebanon, viewing them as a breach of the understandings. This deeply embarrassed Trump internationally.
June 21, 2026: The Iranian delegation withdrew from Switzerland after only 18 hours of talks, reacting to Trump’s renewed threats to "strike hard." This sent the negotiations back to square one.

The Medical Toll
In parallel with this pressure, a White House medical report was issued on May 29, 2026, signed by Dr. Sean Barbabella. While the report stated Trump was in "excellent health," the reality behind the scenes suggested a state of severe neurological exhaustion. Physical signs of this monumental mental strain appeared as "bruising on the hands" (from aggressive handshaking) and leg swelling.

Conclusion: The Philosophers of the Arena
It is no exaggeration to say that the Iranians caused a "political and neurological stroke" for Trump. They turned the U.S. negotiating team into regular customers of pharmacies for sedatives. Trump later admitted the difficulty of the Iranian temperament, describing them as "very good negotiators" and noting that "they have never lost a negotiation."

The Pakistan-Switzerland negotiations of 2026 were a lesson in how "long-windedness" can exhaust the world’s most powerful nation. It showed how "smart bureaucracy" could force a president who fills the world with noise to settle for an online signature, just to say he achieved something.

Ultimately, we recall the cold British perspective, which understands the Iranian mind well. When Trump vented his frustration, the dry response was: "When you are finished with your operations, let us know." Such are the Iranians—the philosophers of the arena. For them, the battle of paper and words is one they never lose.

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