On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti Inside the breakdown of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks
Mar 24, 2026
Ali Vaez, Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group and former facilitator in the 2015 nuclear talks, explains diplomatic mechanics and technical barriers. He compares 2015’s rigorous, multilateral process to recent ad‑hoc meetings. He outlines Iran’s enrichment capacity, breakout timelines, and why missing technical teams and mistrust have derailed serious negotiations.
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Diplomacy Lacked Technical Credibility
- U.S. negotiators in February lacked technical nuclear expertise, undermining credibility of talks.
- Edward Wong reports Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff met Iran without nuclear experts, suggesting talks may have been political not technical.
Non-Nuclear Demands Undermined Talks
- Some U.S. statements mixed non-nuclear demands into nuclear talks, suggesting bad-faith objectives.
- Wong notes Trump team sought Iranian concessions on regime legitimacy and missiles, issues never on the table technically.
2015 Negotiations Had Hundreds Of Technical Experts
- Ali Vaez contrasts 2015 talks that included ~400 U.S. technical contributors with February talks that lacked experts.
- Vaez says national labs and an IAEA technical verification team were integral to the JCPOA negotiations.