TEHRAN- Political analyst Dimitri Lascaris says the Trump administration’s approach to Iran is fundamentally flawed – undermined by ideological delusions such as an obsession with maximalist pressure and a disregard for diplomatic norms.

According to Lascaris, as long as Washington refuses to accept the limits of coercive diplomacy and ignores geopolitical realities – including Iran’s strategic autonomy and regional influence – meaningful negotiations will remain impossible. He argues that the White House’s behaviour reflects broader critiques of Trump’s foreign policy as erratic and out of touch with international consensus.

Lascaris also points to recent comments by Vice President JD Vance, who claimed that Iran rejected the Trump administration’s proposal as the “best and final” deal. That claim, Lascaris says, highlights the growing tension between US assertiveness and Iranian scepticism. The resulting impasse is rooted in mutual distrust, unilateralism, and a complete absence of genuine negotiation.

“Real engagement demands flexibility, transparency, and respect for international norms – elements that are entirely absent in Trump’s hardline stance,” Lascaris said. Until those elements are restored, he concludes, meaningful diplomacy with Iran is unlikely to move forward.

Negotiations between Iran and the United States in Islamabad, Pakistan, concluded without an agreement this Sunday morning. Iran attributed this outcome to the excessive demands made by the American side.