'He talks peace, destroys deals': Iran envoy's sharp swipe at Trump

Islamabad: Fresh tensions between Iran and the United States have spilled into the diplomatic arena, with Iran's Ambassador to Pakistan, Reza Amiri Moghadam, accusing US President Donald Trump of undoing years of diplomatic efforts between the two countries.

In a series of posts on X, Moghadam said Trump had "destroyed two important achievements in the history of contemporary diplomacy" while continuing to speak about peace. The envoy was referring to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), commonly known as the Iran nuclear deal, and the recently signed 14-point Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

The JCPOA was reached in July 2015 after years of negotiations. Under the agreement, Iran accepted strict restrictions on its nuclear programme in exchange for relief from international sanctions. However, the United States withdrew from the deal in 2018 during Trump's first administration, a move that significantly increased tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Moghadam argued that the same pattern had now been repeated with the 14-point MoU signed last month. The agreement was intended to reduce hostilities and create space for further talks between the two sides. According to the Iranian envoy, the United States failed to honour the understanding shortly after it came into force.

He claimed that Washington's actions showed there was little real intention to make the agreement work. The ambassador said the alleged violation of the MoU within weeks of its signing raised serious doubts about America's commitment to peace and stability in the region.

Moghadam went a step further, alleging that the US objective was not to reach a lasting settlement through negotiations but to maintain pressure and instability regardless of whether an agreement existed. He argued that diplomatic deals were being undermined even after being formally accepted.

The remarks come at a particularly sensitive time, as relations between Iran and the United States have deteriorated following the reported collapse of the 14-point MoU. The fallout has contributed to a renewed cycle of confrontation across West Asia, with US strikes targeting Iranian military and civilian sites and Iran responding with attacks on American bases in the Gulf.

As the conflict deepens, diplomatic trust between the two long-time rivals appears to be eroding further, making the prospect of meaningful negotiations increasingly uncertain.