Victoria Coates, who served as deputy national security adviser under President Trump, has echoed the president's bleak assessment of engaging with Iranian officials, saying additional negotiations are likely futile. Her remarks come after Trump publicly lambasted Tehran's representatives and declared a temporary ceasefire dead.
Speaking Thursday on NewsNation, Coates told anchor Blake Burman that "at this point, it probably is a waste of time" to pursue diplomatic channels with Iran, citing Trump's own statements at the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, earlier this week. "From what the president said in Ankara over the last couple days, this is essentially not a group you can deal with," she added.
On Wednesday, Trump told reporters he did not "want to deal with [Iran] anymore" and bluntly described the country's negotiators as "scum." The president's outburst followed a series of retaliatory strikes between the U.S. and Iran over alleged violations of a ceasefire framework signed just last month. Trump subsequently declared the temporary halt in fighting "over," though he left the door slightly ajar, saying he would "speak to our negotiators" and calling them "good people." Still, he insisted, "As far as I'm concerned, it's just a waste of time dealing with [Iran]."
The collapse of talks escalates tensions in a conflict that has already drawn in regional proxies and raised concerns about broader instability. The administration's hardline posture reflects a broader pattern of confrontational diplomacy, similar to the approach seen in recent executive actions on domestic commissions.
Coates also addressed worries that the conflict could drive up energy prices, but she pointed to new data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showing record-breaking domestic oil production. The EIA reported that the United States produced an average of 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025, far surpassing Russia's 9.9 million and Saudi Arabia's 9.6 million. "We've seen this massive jump," Coates said. "We're now by far and away the biggest oil producer in the world."
The production milestone provides a buffer against supply disruptions, but analysts caution that sustained military engagement could still roil global markets. The administration's energy independence narrative dovetails with broader policy debates, including ongoing legislative battles over executive authority.
As the White House signals a willingness to walk away from the negotiating table, the path forward remains uncertain. Trump's dismissal of further talks leaves the U.S.-Iran conflict in a precarious state, with no clear off-ramp and both sides trading accusations of bad faith. Coates's endorsement of the president's pessimism underscores the administration's conviction that diplomacy has run its course—at least for now.
