Former Mossad official says Trump naive about Iran, misunderstands Middle East diplomacy

Oded Eilam, former head of the Mossad's counterterrorism division, has voiced strong criticism of U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to negotiating with Iran, describing it as akin to a "bazaar" where Trump misunderstands the nuances of Middle East diplomacy. Eilam told 103FM that while military achievements have been made in various arenas, they are not translating into diplomatic successes, largely due to Trump's unpredictable negotiation tactics.

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US President Donald Trump treats negotiations with Iran “like a bazaar.”

Eilam elaborated on Trump's style, comparing him to a merchant setting a price for all merchandise by day's end, expecting prices to drop. He believes Trump lacks understanding of the region's dialectic and that Iranians are exploiting this. Despite this critique, Eilam acknowledged Trump's significant contributions, including brokering the Abraham Accords and playing a key role in a hostage deal, noting that Trump has taken actions against Iran that previous presidents had not. However, he suggested Trump's actions can sometimes be counterproductive, potentially leading to a chapter in Barbara Tuchman's "The March of Folly."

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It’s hard to summarize, we are only in a pause. We have not finished anything, just as we have not finished anything in any arena, and we need to admit the truth. There are extraordinary military achievements in all arenas that are not really being translated into diplomatic achievements.

The former Mossad official also expressed concern over Israel's diminishing standing in the region, describing it as a limited player whose position is deteriorating. He used a World Cup analogy, comparing Israel to a striker told to only shoot with their right foot and pass backward, implying severe strategic limitations. Eilam also referenced Trump's tendency to halt military actions, metaphorically referring to "brakes on the planes that were on their way."

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One of the main reasons is a capricious president named Trump, who is negotiating in the Iranian bazaar. More or less, he comes in the morning to his stall, puts up a sign that says, ‘By the end of the day, I need to sell all the merchandise,’ and expects prices to go down. He does not understand the terminology of the Middle East, not the dialectic, and the Iranians are teaching him a lesson in that regard.”

Eilam stressed the importance of Israel severing the dynamic where Iran dictates terms through proxies like Hezbollah in Lebanon. He argued that Israel must send a clear message that it will not accept such arrangements, indicating that Israel's territorial control has been the most effective way to counter Iran and Hezbollah. The key takeaway, he suggested, is that Israel is sending a sharp and clear message that the influence Iran wields in Beirut will be directly linked to Tehran.

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We owe this man an enormous debt, no matter what. He brought the Abraham Accords; he was the most dominant factor in the hostage deal. This man did what seven presidents before him did not do, and he attacked Iran, which absorbed heavy blows. However, we are talking here with a president who sometimes acts against his own interests and could write a glorious chapter in Barbara Tuchman’s book The March of Folly.