US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, tasked by Donald Trump to handle negotiations with Iran and Russia, has proven himself to be cluelessly out of his depth. Witkoff’s first task was to negotiate a ceasefire with Hamas, but he was duped into authorizing direct talks without Qatar’s mediation.
Witkoff’s handling of the Iranian nuclear programme has been even more disastrous. He announced that Iran needs to limit enrichment to 3.67%, a fatal flaw in the 2015 Obama deal. However, this concession allows the mullahs a pathway to a nuclear weapon, despite Iran being significantly weaker than during the Obama era.
Witkoff’s gaffes have continued with Ukraine, where he has been fan-boying Putin and regurgitating Russian propaganda. He has repeatedly asserted that many people in Ukraine want to be under Russian rule, but this claim is as illegitimate as Putin’s election wins.
As the US envoy responsible for Middle East and Ukraine diplomacy, Witkoff’s cluelessness threatens catastrophe. With his lack of depth and repeated missteps, he is putting the region on a collision course with disaster.
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/04/18/steve-witkoff-is-embarrassingly-out-of-his-depth-dealing-wi