Hamburg. Hans-Dieter Lucas, Germany's lead negotiator in the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, has criticized the U.S. approach to the current peace talks. "Nuclear negotiations are not like real estate deals," he told the weekly newspaper Die Zeit.
Ex-German negotiator warns U.S. lacks nuclear expertise in Iran talks
"There appears to be considerable back-and-forth on the American side," said the former diplomat. "What's more, expertise in nuclear matters is indispensable." A decade ago, he noted, the U.S. delegation included highly qualified nuclear specialists. Now, however, JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner seem to be negotiating without substantial expert support.
Lucas, a former ambassador, warned that the Americans risk being outmaneuvered: "One can only hope that experts will ultimately review the proposals. The Iranian side, at least, has people who know the dossier inside out. Iran's current foreign minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, was one of the lead negotiators back then." On the Iranian negotiators, Lucas remarked: "I consider the Iranians to be among the toughest negotiators in the world—highly intelligent, extremely skillful, and deeply knowledgeable. You have to be very well prepared to deal with them."
Until last year, Hans-Dieter Lucas served as one of Germany's top diplomats, holding roles such as political director at the Foreign Office, Germany's permanent representative to NATO, and ambassador. The 2015 nuclear agreement—later abandoned by Donald Trump—was designed to prevent Iran from enriching uranium to levels suitable for military use.
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