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Former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman says Tehran has emerged from the war in a much stronger position that the US, who initiated the conflict on 28 February with US–Israeli airstrikes targeting Iranian military and government sites that broguht about the assassination of Iranian officials and its leader Ali Khamenei.
Speaking to Euronews, the seasoned diplomat who led the team that negotiated the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, welcomed the current talks between Washington and Tehran but warned that major uncertainties remain over any potential deal.
“What is really occurring is not clear,” she said. “The United States is saying one thing and Iran is saying something else.”
Sherman criticised the reported cost of the framework agreement linked to reopening the Strait of Hormuz suggesting that it appears to give Iran “quite a bit for not very much.”
She stressed that verification would be key for any lasting deal. Inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency must return to the ground. “You can’t do anything in the negotiations… without knowing what the reality is,” she said. For the time being, the U.S. and Iran are in dispute over whether Tehran had agreed to allow these inspections of its nuclear sites.
For Sherman, the conflict has stressed the need to talk. “Diplomacy is necessary. Military action will not solve this problem.”
She also warned that Iran could emerge with greater influence in Lebanon and across the region, complicating wider efforts to secure stability.
Watch the full interview in the player above.