Iranologist considers Trump tends to seek compromise with Iran

Expert on Iran affairs Emma Begijanyan believes that U.S. President Donald Trump has always sought direct negotiations with Iran rather than launching military strikes against the country.

In an interview with Armenpress, Begijanyan addressed the ongoing tension between the U.S. and Iran, as well as developments surrounding Iran’s nuclear program in the Middle East.

She recalled that during Trump’s previous term in office, he had sent a letter to the Iranian leadership through the Prime Minister of Japan. However, the Iranian side did not even open the letter, as the U.S. had already withdrawn from the nuclear agreement.

According to Begijanyan, despite everything, Iran remains willing to normalize relations with the West.

“During his previous term, Trump withdrew from the agreement on Iran's nuclear program and from the ‘5+1’ negotiation format, considering the deal a ‘fruitless document’ that would yield no results for the negotiators.

However, during his second presidential run, Trump expressed support during the campaign for establishing more constructive relations with Iran—on the condition that Iran does not possess nuclear weapons.

Later, as Trump began to act on his promises, he again sent a letter to Iran proposing direct negotiations. That letter also included preconditions, which, naturally, were unacceptable to Iran,” Begijanyan said.

It seemed that everything could have ended successfully, but here we must also take into account the Israeli factor. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who maintains very warm relations with Trump, strongly supports striking Iran's nuclear facilities and missile factories—and Trump often accepts Netanyahu’s proposals.

Begijanyan cited the opinion of Omran, a prominent Israeli expert of Iranian origin, who has previously stated that Netanyahu and his cabinet are determined to strike Iran by any means necessary. She noted that Netanyahu is expected to discuss three key issues with Trump in Washington: Iran’s nuclear program, American tariffs, and the Gaza situation.
However, unlike Netanyahu, Trump appears more inclined to reach a compromise with Iran rather than launch military action.

Commenting on the upcoming trilateral consultations between Russia, China, and Iran in Moscow on the nuclear issue, Begijanyan recalled that when the UN first adopted a resolution against Iran’s nuclear program and imposed restrictions, Russia supported the resolution while China took a neutral stance.

“Russia and China are also against Iran possessing nuclear weapons. The upcoming talks may aim to achieve a common understanding. Iran’s friendly countries are likely trying to persuade it to avoid conflict through diplomatic means. The U.S. and Israel are actively cooperating, and any attack on Iran would have devastating consequences for the entire region. We would witness missile strikes unprecedented in history. Trump tends to exaggerate, of course, but even if Iran’s missile factories and nuclear facilities are targeted, the technical base cannot be entirely destroyed. At most, the process would be delayed—if Iran truly intends to develop nuclear weapons,” she said.

Begijanyan also noted that Iran has already stated that in the event of an attack, it would revise its policy and seek to bring its nuclear program to completion.

“Tehran has warned that the U.S. is in a glass room in the Middle East, and any strike on Iran would shatter the glass.

The U.S. has military bases in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain. Israel, in turn, has bases in various countries, including Azerbaijan, which could become potential targets during Iran’s retaliatory strikes.

Contrary to Israeli claims, Trump will do everything to prevent the U.S. from being drawn into a war—especially given the bitter experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. The U.S. withdrew from those countries without any meaningful or favorable results. Iraq and Afghanistan cannot be compared to Iran in terms of potential. This may be one of the reasons why a large-scale military operation against Iran in the Middle East is unlikely,” the expert concluded.