Scahill says Israel actions could derail Iran-US diplomacy
Jeremy Scahill told Al Jazeera that Iran-US talks face poor odds as Tehran weighs whether Washington can restrain Israel.
By James Whitfield · Staff Writer
2 min read
Jeremy Scahill, co-founder of Drop Site News, said Iran-US diplomacy faces poor prospects because Tehran doubts Washington can compel Israel to honor limits on its military actions. In a 25-minute Al Jazeera interview published June 21, 2026, Scahill argued that Israeli activity in Lebanon and US President Donald Trump’s failure to halt it could help collapse the talks.
Scahill told host Steve Clemons that the odds are “very, very slim” that discussions between Iran and the United States will advance from a memorandum of understanding to a broader settlement. He described the possible goal as a comprehensive agreement to end what he called the US-Israel war on Iran.
Trust in US leverage at issue
According to Scahill, Iranian leaders are looking at Washington’s record with Israel as they judge whether any deal with the United States would hold. He pointed to the Gaza ceasefire that Trump brokered in October 2025 as a key example.
Scahill said the White House “hasn’t been able to force Israel to abide by the minimal set of agreements” in that ceasefire. He argued that this record has made Iranian officials skeptical that Trump could enforce understandings tied to Iran as well.
The concern, as Scahill framed it, is not only about the written terms of a potential US-Iran agreement. It is also about whether Israel would comply with any limits and whether the US president would be willing or able to impose consequences if it did not.
Lebanon adds pressure
Scahill also cited Israeli actions in Lebanon as a factor that could damage the diplomatic track. He argued that those actions, combined with Trump’s inability to stop them, may convince Iranian leaders that talks cannot produce a stable arrangement.
Al Jazeera presented the interview as an assessment of whether a memorandum of understanding could become a fuller agreement between Washington and Tehran. Scahill’s view was that the gap between a preliminary understanding and an enforceable deal remains wide.
The interview did not present a timeline for the talks or the contents of any memorandum. Its focus was Scahill’s argument that Iranian confidence in US commitments is being shaped by Israel’s conduct in Gaza and Lebanon, and by Trump’s response to it.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.