The current military operation by the US forces, namely, Operation Epic Fury, seems to have brought new challenges for negotiations on the matter of nuclear deal with Iran. Iran and America had been engaged in discussions concerning limitation of the activities related to Iran’s nuclear program.
Secondly, this example cannot be treated separately from Operation Midnight Hammer. The United States attacked some vital facilities of the country under discussion in June 2025 when both parties conducted negotiations aimed at limitation of the Iranian nuclear program. Thus, actions of this sort during negotiations have started to undermine mutual trust.
Why trust matters in nuclear negotiations
The involved countries must be sure that the other party will stick to their promise. Indeed, in history, countries which were rivals in some cases have been able to come to terms and reach an agreement on disarmament because there was still some level of trust.
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, for instance, could only succeed because the non-nuclear nations trusted the nuclear nations. Otherwise, such treaties would never have been realized. However, the latest action by America may jeopardize this delicate trust.
Furthermore, reports have indicated that Iran was ready to accept certain terms of peace, among them, having lesser amounts of enriched uranium.
A future shaped by doubt and caution
Nations such as North Korea might see what happened as evidence that diplomacy offers no real protection. They would not want to enter into any future talks because they fear not having enough guarantees.
Furthermore, the credibility of the United States in non-proliferation may become questionable. It is possible that other countries may require a neutral party before engaging in any talks.
Lastly, the world will become an increasingly unstable place. If diplomacy fails, conflict will inevitably ensue.
