What Comes Next After Failed U.S.-Iran Talks, With Elliott Abrams | The President’s Inbox

This episode unpacks the U.S.-Iran ceasefire talks in Islamabad and the prospect of a U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Host: James M. Lindsay, Mary and David Boies Distinguished Senior Fellow in U.S. Foreign Policy, CFR Guest: Elliott Abrams, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies, CFR We Discuss: 1. What transpired during the U.S.-Iran talks in Islamabad. 2. Whether both sides abandoned their own preconditions before talks began. 3. How unusually senior and small the negotiating delegations were. 4. What the logic and mechanics of the U.S. naval blockade are. 5. Why other countries have not joined the blockade and may resist it. 6. What the Arab Gulf states are privately urging Washington to do. 7. Whether Israel and the U.S. share the same goals regarding the Iranian regime. 00:00 - Introduction to The President’s Inbox 01:09 - Analysis of Islamabad Failed Talks 03:32 - Red Lines and Negotiating Strategies 05:17 - The Trump Style of Diplomacy 07:46 - Iranian Delegation Decision Powers 09:45 - Current Stability of Tehran's Regime 11:06 - US Naval Blockade & Strategic Logic 12:54 - Economic Coercion and Global Impact 15:11 - Geopolitical Pressure on Washington 18:26 - Gulf Arab States’ Strategic Position 22:43 - US-Israel Military Partnership Goals 26:44 - Challenges of Iranian Regime Change 29:14 - Nuclear Inspections and IAEA Role 30:38 - Future Outlook for the Ceasefire Find us What Comes Next After Failed U.S.-Iran Talks, With Elliott Abrams - https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presiden... The President’s Inbox - https://www.cfr.org/podcasts/presiden... Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/65u6jcF... Related Content Vice President JD Vance Delivers Remarks in Islamabad, Pakistan - https://www.whitehouse.gov/videos/vic... Starmer Says UK Will Not Join Trump's Blockade of Iran's Ports - https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c39... Iran: Nuclear Intentions and Capabilities - https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/citations/A... Opinions expressed on The President’s Inbox are solely those of the host or our guests, not of CFR, which takes no institutional positions on matters of policy. Subscribe to our channel:    / cfr   The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an independent, nonpartisan membership organization, think tank, and publisher. Visit the CFR website: http://www.cfr.org Follow CFR on X: https://x.com/cfr_org Follow CFR on Facebook:   / councilonforeignrelations   Follow CFR on Instagram: @CFR_org