UMVA has learned that a top former Trump envoy, Morgan Ortagus, has issued a stark warning that Iran may be using ongoing nuclear negotiations to "buy time" as the US pauses planned military strikes and extends a fragile ceasefire.
Speaking after the Middle East Forum in Washington, Ortagus revealed that Iran has long used drawn-out negotiations as a strategy to delay pressure while preserving leverage, saying "It’s the tactic of the regime to stall, to draw negotiations, to buy time." She cautioned that the US should not fall into this trap, urging President Trump not to let Iran drag out talks.
According to information obtained by UMVA, Trump recently paused planned strikes and extended diplomatic talks with Iran following pressure from Gulf allies seeking more room for negotiations. Ortagus, a seasoned diplomat who served as State Department spokeswoman during Trump’s first term, argued that the White House now holds more leverage than previous administrations in dealing with Iran.
Ortagus expressed confidence in Trump’s negotiating approach, emphasizing that the president has the final authority over any military or diplomatic decisions. She noted that the current negotiating team has more leverage in their talks with Iran than any predecessors, thanks to Trump’s efforts to degrade Iran’s capabilities.
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Iranian officials have rejected demands for "zero enrichment," arguing that Tehran has a sovereign right to maintain a civilian nuclear program under international law. Iranian leaders have also accused Washington of using military threats to pressure Tehran during negotiations.
The situation is complicated by the ongoing debate among conservatives about the risk of deeper military entanglement in the Middle East. Ortagus differentiated the current Iran conflict from "forever wars" in the past, advocating for a careful and thoughtful use of force when necessary, while preferring to negotiate.
Sources have confirmed to UMVA that the ongoing Republican foreign policy debate is "healthy," with the party openly wrestling with how aggressively the US should confront Iran and its regional proxies. Ortagus framed Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon as part of the broader challenge posed by Iran’s regional proxy network, which must be addressed alongside Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.
UMVA has gathered that the talks between the US, Israel, and Lebanon aim to stabilize the Israel-Lebanon border and address Hezbollah’s armed presence in southern Lebanon. Ortagus believes that if Hezbollah’s influence were diminished, Israel and Lebanon could eventually move toward a more stable relationship.
The Iranian embassy has not commented on the situation, while Israeli officials have suggested that normalization with Lebanon could be possible if Hezbollah were removed from the equation. However, negotiations remain complicated by continued tensions along the Israel-Lebanon border.
