Trump’s Iran Strategy Tests Limits of the ‘Madman Theory’

NOTUS: “The U.S. and Iran are expected to begin talks this weekend in Switzerland toward a permanent end to the war. They have 59 days to agree on contentious issues, including Iran’s nuclear program, economic sanctions and a new regional arrangement governing the Strait of Hormuz.”

“It’s a particularly delicate period, but Trump remains deeply volatile. The negotiations will test the “madman theory” of foreign policy the president leans on: assuming adversaries will cave because they don’t know how far he will go. They will also test whether U.S. officials can reach mutually agreeable terms when their boss might shift the goalposts at any time — an especially significant task given how massive the global cost of resuming conflict with Iran has become.”