Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton derided the Trump administration’s handling of high-stakes peace talks with Iran, calling the effort led by Vice President JD Vance “a joke” and questioning the administration’s ability to conduct serious diplomacy.
Clinton made the comments on MS Now’s Morning Joe on Monday after Vance and previous lead negotiators Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner returned home from Islamabad, Pakistan, following over 15 hours of discussions that ultimately failed to reach a peace deal.
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“This is hard work,” Clinton said. “You don’t just show up in Geneva or Islamabad, talk for a bunch of hours, and go away.” She added that effective diplomacy requires “hard, disciplined effort.”
Clinton sharply criticized the Trump administration’s reliance on a small group of envoys, singling out Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, and Witkoff, who have been involved in multiple international negotiations.
“They’re supposed to solve Ukraine, Iran, Gaza — it’s a joke,” she said.
Clinton also said that in her opinion, Vance doesn’t truly understand the meaning of Western civilization that he “prattles on and on about.”
“Western civilization has a real meaning. It is a meaning about our values, our institutions,” she said. “This country of ours is a result of the development, over centuries, of Western civilization. It is about how we hold leaders accountable, so they don’t become autocrats and dictators.”
The Islamabad talks, led by Vance, marked the highest-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since 1979 and were seen as a critical effort to prevent further escalation following weeks of military conflict between Iran, Israel, and U.S. forces.
Negotiators were unable to bridge major differences, including U.S. demands that Iran curb its nuclear program. Following their return, Vance said the U.S. part of the deal still stands.
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The failure has heightened tension in the region, with President Donald Trump since moving to impose a naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route, and suggesting further military action could be on the table.
During her interview, Clinton also called Trump “unhinged” and said he should be held accountable for his posts on social media, including those about Iran.
