Wendy Sherman, the lead US negotiator on Iran's nuclear file under former President Barack Obama, said that Trump's war on Iran has caused upheaval in the Middle East that has spread to China and Russia, both of which have benefited, adding that the US 'has not dealt' with countries in the region in a way that contributes to stability and peace.

Sherman played a key role in brokering nuclear deals with North Korea under former President Bill Clinton and Iran under Obama, but both agreements collapsed under subsequent Republican administrations.

Sherman spent many years dealing with Iranian officials as the former lead US negotiator, telling Bloomberg that the Iranian regime is now 'more hardline'.

She gave her view on the current agreement, saying the war and the terms of the deal 'have become increasingly politically contentious, among Democrats and Republicans alike'.

She added: 'What has been reported is a suspension of Iran's enrichment program for several years, whether 10, 15, or 20, I don't know. The program will be monitored and verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency, and that monitoring and verification will be very thorough.'

She continued: 'There is greater control by the Revolutionary Guards, which means the concessions that President Trump thinks will come easily will not come. They will resist. They will never give up what they believe is their right to enrich uranium; they may suspend it voluntarily, but they will not give up the right. I don't think they will give up their relationship with their proxies, and they may reduce the level of support. They will not give up their missile program.'

She stressed: 'It is important that people understand Iran's culture, history, people, government, and doctrine. It is completely different from American or Western sensibilities. It is a culture of resistance.'

The American diplomat explained that 'the Iranian Revolution in 1979 erupted as a reaction to the overthrow of then-Prime Minister Mohammad Mossadegh in 1953, because we feared Iran would nationalize the oil industry, and we installed the Shah of Iran, who may have been good for us Westerners but was disastrous for Iran.'

She added: 'Every time Trump tries to provoke Iran, Iran's dignity and pride come to the fore. True, they are a repressive regime that committed massacres against protesters in the streets, but that is their reality.'

Sherman spoke about Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was deputy foreign minister and chief nuclear negotiator in the 2013-2015 talks, saying he is 'a very smart and tough person, and he can get angry. He is part of the revolution. He had a close relationship with the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, despite the criticism he faces now.'

She said: 'I don't think the current negotiations are based on trust. I don't trust Araghchi, and I don't trust Iran. He doesn't trust me. They don't trust me. In fact, at one point, chants of "Death to Wendy Sherman" were heard in the streets of Tehran. You have to respect that your adversary has interests that may not align with yours. Ultimately, these are negotiations; they must gain something from them.' She noted that she has not been in touch with Araghchi since the first Trump administration took office.

Trump's strategy towards Iran

On the ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran in Pakistan, Sherman said that 'in this type of negotiation, there must be a credible threat of using force, and in this case, perhaps even some of the mechanisms Trump used lacked strategy.'

She added: 'He (Trump) is very tactical and transactional, as he was when he was a real estate developer. In this case, I don't think this approach will succeed.'

She continued: 'Before this war, the Strait of Hormuz was open, but now Iran will still believe it controls it. Even if it reopens it, which I strongly hope for, we all know it can close it again.'

Sherman noted that although Trump has reduced Iran's military capabilities, he has not weakened its fast boats, drone technology, or nuclear program, explaining that Iran 'will rebuild its missiles, navy, and nuclear program, though that may take time.'

She touched on the Strait of Hormuz, saying that shipping is about insurance, and whether insurance companies feel there are sufficient security measures to allow those ships to pass.

She added: 'Even during the short period when the strait was, as they say, reopened, insurance companies did not see it as safe enough for ships to pass. That is the bottom line.'

Sherman added: 'I can't even imagine what is going on in Trump's mind, but I think his reckless behavior has increased, and that worries me greatly.'

She noted that she believes Iran will still have some control over the strait, while noting that the issue of highly enriched uranium stockpiles is a complex and laborious process, expressing concern about the US administration's ability to handle it.

According to Bloomberg, some estimates indicate that the war has killed more than 3,000 Iranians, while a new analysis of damaged areas in Tehran shows that about 32% of the buildings targeted were military, 25% were industrial buildings, 19% targeted shops, and 2% targeted government entities.

America's relationship with European allies

Sherman noted that it's not just about winning this war, but what it means for America's future, referring to Trump's upcoming visit to China in May to meet President Xi Jinping, saying: 'I think he will go in a weak position, regardless of the outcome.'

She added: 'Even if an agreement is reached, it will be just principles and broad outlines. Then, the parties involved will have to work out the details, which will take weeks, if not months, and perhaps more than a year to resolve. This imbalance will continue for a very long time in the Middle East.'

She continued: 'Some of our best allies, Canada and Britain, have stated they cannot rely on us and have taken steps toward China.'

Sherman, who published her memoir 'Not for the Faint of Heart' in 2018 between her service in the Obama and Biden administrations, said that 'by October 2013, a year had passed since the secret negotiations between the US and Iran. No one likes the power asymmetry between us, but everyone recognizes it. The European allies were not happy, but they were not shocked. Russia and China, which participated in these negotiations, were not shocked; they were happy that things were progressing.'

She added: 'Yes, the US has disproportionate power, but we have to be humble about it. When we withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal, everyone realized then that if we couldn't reach an agreement, the US military would have to intervene and try to change Iran's calculations.'

Under the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal, Iran agreed to IAEA monitoring of its nuclear program, which it says is for civilian use, and that continued even after Trump withdrew from the deal in 2018, but cooperation with inspectors ended last year.