Hans-Dieter Lucas, former German diplomat and lead negotiator for the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, has criticized the United States’ approach during current peace talks. Speaking to the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit”, Lucas stated, “Nuclear negotiations are different from real estate deals”.
The former diplomat expressed concern regarding the process on the American side, noting that there appeared to be “a lot of back and forth”. He emphasized that specialized expertise is absolutely necessary when dealing with nuclear issues. Lucas pointed out a clear difference in support structure: ten years ago, the US delegation was advised by highly qualified nuclear experts. However, he observed that the current talks, involving figures like JD Vance, Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner, seem to be taking place without substantial expert accompaniment.
Lucas fears that the Americans could be taken advantage of during the negotiations. He expressed hope that experts would advise the proposals at the end of the day. He contrasted this potential weakness with the robust knowledge housed on the Iranian side, noting that the country is represented by people who know the file intimately, citing former Iranian Foreign Minister Araghtschi as one of the chief negotiators at the time of the agreement. Regarding the Iranians, Lucas was highly respectful, describing them as “among the toughest negotiators overall: highly intelligent, very skillful, and possessing great expertise. One needs to be very prepared”.
Lucas himself served as a top German diplomat until last year, holding various roles including Political Director at the Foreign Office, Permanent Representative of Germany to NATO, and Ambassador. The 2015 agreement-which was later withdrawn by Donald Trump-was designed to prevent Iran from enriching its uranium to high levels for military purposes.