'Close doesn't count': Mideast experts assess potential U.S.-Iran agreement

Article excerpt

A potential U.S.-Iran agreement faces skepticism from Middle East experts who warn that diplomatic proximity isn't enough to guarantee success. Amna Nawaz interviewed Alan Eyre, who helped negotiate the Obama-era Iran nuclear deal at the Middle East Institute, and Miad Maleki, an Iran-born analyst at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, to examine what's at stake in this latest negotiation attempt. Their discussion centered on the motivations driving both sides and the practical hurdles that could derail an accord, even if negotiators inch close to a breakthrough.