Donald Trump's Iran war trouble is getting worse in the hands of Jared Kushner, according to a political analyst, noting the Trump's son-in-law's objectionable connections elsewhere.
Kushner was drafted into peace talks with Iran alongside United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff. It appears Kushner, the husband of Ivanka Trump, is causing more trouble than it is worth for the president, as the potential peace agreement with Iran could be at risk, analyst Hussein Ibish claimed in a column for MS NOW..
Both Kushner and Witkoff's background is in Manhattan real estate, not negotiations with world leaders, and this could be a bigger problem for Trump's Iran quagmire than the president first thought. Ibish, writing for MSNow, explained, "Kushner also developed strong ties to Qatar, especially during the boycott of that country by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt.
"But Kushner’s strongest Middle East ties are to Netanyahu, a close family friend. When the Israeli prime minister was a mid-level diplomat in New York, he reportedly used to frequently stay overnight at the Kushner home, even bedding down in Jared’s own room, with the young real estate scion dispatched to another quarter.
"Kushner’s ties to the Israeli far right are, therefore, not merely ideological and deeply religious — they are profoundly personal. It seems impossible to suggest that all of this could simply be put aside, making room for impartiality and sound judgment."
Those ties to Netanyahu have proved troublesome for Kushner's negotiating position, given the US and Israel opted to strike Iran at the start of March. Iranian peace talks may be at risk, Ibish claimed, because the leadership in the Middle East knows of the close ties Kushner has elsewhere.
"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.
"Asking Tehran to negotiate with Steve and Jared, while the latter is fronting for his old family friend, Netanyahu, and roaming the Middle East looking for billions in foreign investments for his fund, may be a very Trumpy demand.
"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."