Diplomatic efforts by the United States across the Middle East have yielded thin results amid ongoing conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran. Despite months of high-level engagement, ceasefires and memorandums of understanding have repeatedly stalled or collapsed after initial announcements.
The underlying failures stem directly from the structure of the diplomatic personnel deployed and the strategic policies they produced, according to policy analysts and diplomatic records.
Real Estate Envoys Face Technical Hurdles
The United States has relied heavily on special envoys without prior government or diplomatic experience to lead critical negotiations. Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, both business figures with backgrounds in real estate, stepped into leading mediation roles for the administration.
That lack of traditional diplomatic and technical background created acute friction during talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program. The Arms Control Association stated that Witkoff lacked the technical knowledge necessary for those specific negotiations. Republican Senator Thom Tillis remarked that the arrangement did not make sense.
By contrast, the Iranian negotiating team featured career diplomats, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, whom the Stimson Center described as one of Iran’s most professional diplomats. Iran’s delegation reportedly included three deputy foreign ministers, while the US team operated under the leadership of Vice President JD Vance alongside Witkoff and Kushner.
Financial Disclosures and Conflicts of Interest
Questions regarding potential conflicts of interest have surrounded the envoys throughout their missions. Democratic lawmakers raised concerns that Kushner’s investment firm sought $5bn or more while he served as an envoy.
Witkoff reported $106.9m in distributions from a holding company tied to real estate and entities associated with World Liberty Financial, a crypto firm linked to President Donald Trump, according to his 2025 financial disclosure. The White House stated that Witkoff has since fully divested from those holdings, and the scrutiny centers on conflicts of interest rather than proven corruption.
State Department Vacancies and Staff Reductions
The institutional backing for US diplomacy has experienced significant erosion. In 2025, 1353 State Department staff were laid off. By 1 October, 92 of 196 ambassador posts remained vacant, including critical diplomatic stations in Qatar and Pakistan that previously helped mediate the US-Iran talks.
Political appointees accounted for approximately 80% of ambassador posts during Trump’s second term, a sharp departure from the historical average where roughly 70% of posts were filled by career diplomats. Career diplomats provide institutional memory and ensure that agreed-upon deals are systematically implemented.
Military Action Intersects With Ongoing Talks
Strategic policies implemented alongside diplomatic efforts have undermined trust among negotiating parties. In June 2025, the US and Iran prepared for a sixth round of talks in Oman before an Israeli strike on Iran forced a cancellation. The US maintained it played no part in those strikes. In February 2026, a new round of conflict began with joint US-Israeli strikes while Oman-mediated talks were active.
Mediation efforts in Gaza and Lebanon encountered similar friction. In March 2025, Witkoff proposed a short bridge extension to the Gaza ceasefire, which Hamas rejected on the grounds that it bypassed the agreed-upon second phase of governance talks. The Times of Israel reported that Witkoff accepted Israel’s reluctance to transition to phase two. After conflict resumed, Witkoff stated that the breakdown rested with Hamas.
In Lebanon, the US brokered a framework following an escalation of fighting between Israel and Hezbollah in March 2026. Israel’s ambassador stated that this framework replaced the earlier US-Iran memorandum of understanding on Lebanon, directly contradicting understandings Iran held regarding the regional scope of the memo.
Business-Style Agreements Lack Enforcement Mechanisms
Agreements brokered by the administration frequently mirrored commercial real estate propositions rather than traditional binding treaties. The US-Iran memorandum of understanding signed in 2026 included loose wording that collapsed within about a month. Joey Hood, former acting director of the State Department’s Office of Iranian Affairs, told Al Jazeera that the document gave Iran room to interpret terms as granting sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Lebanon, an ambiguity professional US diplomats would have avoided.
In Gaza, Kushner introduced a $25bn development plan featuring a seaport and airport without addressing the political framework for Palestinian statehood. President Trump remarked that he remained a real estate person at heart, while Kushner noted that peace required changing mindsets rather than operating as a standard business deal. Unlike commercial contracts enforced by courts and markets, political peace agreements lack external backstops, leaving ambiguous language vulnerable to failure.
Legislative Proposals and Structural Reform
Lawmakers have introduced legislative measures to address oversight and financial transparency within US diplomatic missions. Senator Jeff Merkley, alongside eight Democratic colleagues, introduced the TABOO Act (S.5357) in August 2026 to mandate financial disclosures and divestment requirements for individuals negotiating on behalf of the United States.
Proposals for structural reform point to the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement as a functional precedent. That negotiation relied on career diplomats like Wendy Sherman, who spent two years on the file, paired with technical specialists including the Energy Secretary to manage scientific details. Sherman noted that the approach generated detailed, verifiable commitments capable of ongoing monitoring.