President Donald Trump is in the spotlight as Operation Epic Fury enters its 31st day. The 79-year-old president’s stance regarding the conflict has become more complicated after he handed over major responsibilities to certain members of his administration.
Trump asked his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, to help negotiate a potential peace agreement with Iran. Kushner has reportedly joined peace talks with Iran alongside U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East and Trump’s golf companion Steve Witkoff.
However, political analyst Hussein Ibish, who is a renowned figure in the UAE, said that choosing Jared Kushner as a negotiator could be a mistake that may cause Trump more harm than good.
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According to MSN, both Kushner and Witkoff come from a real estate background and might not have the skills to engage in successful diplomatic negotiations.
In his column, Ibish highlighted Jared Kushner’s strong ties in the Middle East, particularly his connections with Qatar during the regional boycott involving Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt.
He also noted Kushner’s close personal relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reportedly, when Netanyahu was a mid-level diplomat in New York, he would stay at Kushner’s home and sometimes even sleep in his bed, like friends.
Hussein Ibish further claimed that Kushner’s personal ties with long-time family friend Benjamin Netanyahu would make it difficult for him to make unbiased judgments in U.S.-Israel negotiations.
Iran has allegedly refused to speak with them, as its administration under the current Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, wishes to only hold talks with Vice President JD Vance.
Previously, Trump has repeatedly claimed that discussions with Iran are progressing and that a peace deal could be close. In contrast, Iranian officials have denied that any such talks took place.
Meanwhile, JD Vance has been more cautious about the war, even though he has long criticized foreign interventions throughout his political career.
“But while Vance may not be the ideal substitute, the current negotiating team is about as inappropriate a pair for this task that could be identified among the approximately 240 million adult U.S. citizens. Even the Trump administration can do better.” Hussein Ibish said.
The Lebanese-born analyst also claimed that Iran’s leadership is likely aware of Kushner’s connections, which could further complicate or even derail recent diplomatic developments.
While Iran’s leadership may seem untrustworthy, its hesitation to trust Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner is not surprising. Both figures support Israel, and Kushner’s 2020 peace plan was rejected by Palestinians and aligned with Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank.
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“Iran’s institutionalized leadership is about as untrustworthy a group as can be identified on the global stage,” he wrote. “But, when it comes to Kushner — and Witkoff, for that matter — for once they may have a point,”
Additionally, after Donald Trump lost the 2020 election, Jared Kushner started an investment firm, Affinity Partners, which received $2 billion from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, and he continues to raise more money for it.
Furthermore, in Trump’s second term, Kushner returned to help lead a “Board of Peace,” originally meant to rebuild Gaza. However, the project remains aspirational without a solid outcome so far.
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U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran have caused widespread damage in Iran, with heavy airstrikes and a 30-day blackout in the country. An Iranian attack on a Saudi air base also appears to have destroyed a US Air Force E-3 Sentry surveillance aircraft. According to the Daily Beast, more than 2,500 people across Lebanon and Iran have been killed, including three journalists.
According to CNN, a senior Iranian official said Tehran will decide when the war ends, not Washington, which means Donald Trump’s intention of establishing a diplomatic end to the strikes remains unfulfilled.
