Published on February 25 — before the war with Iran began — this article now seems strikingly prescient. It captures a moment when U.S. diplomacy was being led by Trump’s son-in-law, a private investor with no professional diplomatic background, who has major financial ties to foreign governments — including countries aligned against the party he was negotiating with. The conflicts of interest are enormous. It’s another example of the missing guardrails inside the Trump administration. This time, the consequences have already been serious — and they are far from over.
Deeply conflicted, Kushner represents the U.S. in high-stakes negotiations with Iran
Today in Geneva, Switzerland, Jared Kushner will represent the United States in meetings with Iranian officials — a last-ditch effort to avoid war. Kushner, however, has serious financial conflicts that could make reaching a deal more difficult.
Kushner has played a central role in all of the most important foreign policy negotiations during Trump’s second term. He has been at the table representing the United States in talks concerning the future of Gaza, the war in Ukraine, and now Iran.
Today’s meeting comes at a critical time. Trump has ordered a large military buildup and publicly said he is considering attacking Iran. It is not clear exactly what Trump wants from Iran, but his demands include new limitations on Iran’s nuclear program. (Notably, Trump claimed that his attack on Iran in June 2025 “completely obliterated Iran’s nuclear capability.”) According to reports, if Trump’s new demands are not met, a U.S. attack on Iran could come as soon as this weekend.
