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Kurt Volker to Newsmax: Prepare for Endless 'Whac-a-Mole' With Iran

By Jim Mishler | Monday, 20 April 2026 06:08 PM EDT

Former U.S. Ambassador to NATO Kurt Volker told Newsmax that dealing with Iran is just like playing an endless game of "Whac-a-Mole," and keeping the regime to its word will not be easy.

Volker told "American Agenda" on Monday that Iranian regime representatives will probably show up in Islamabad, Pakistan, for a new round of ceasefire talks with the U.S. delegation, but he doesn't expect much.

"I think what we're going to see," he said, "is the Iranians traveling there. But they want to frame what negotiations are about. So, in a sense, they want to negotiate about the negotiation."

Volker predicted the U.S. negotiating team will be ready for that. "That's why President [Donald] Trump is yet again setting a deadline and threatening additional military force to try to convince them that we are, in fact, serious — that we will pursue this."

Volker said the main lines of negotiation are already in place. "I think the United States and Iran both want to avoid a resumption of hostilities. We both want the Strait of Hormuz to be fully open. Iran wants some measure of control over that, which we don't."

He added, "Now, what President Trump is also looking for is concessions from Iran on their nuclear program, a commitment to long-term, no enrichment, no nuclear weapons development. The Iranians have rejected that so far."

And that, said Volker, is where things fall apart. "We will be in a constant effort," he said. "It'll be a never-ending negotiation. It will be whac-a-mole all the time trying to keep the Iranians to their word once they say that they will do something. But that's the nature of it."

But, added Volker, there is a chance a deal could be finalized. "I think the ingredients of a negotiation are there. There have been a lot of misunderstandings along the way, but I think this is likely to continue to go forward."

Trump on Monday told a reporter that he'd be willing to meet with senior Iranian leaders to secure a deal that ends the ongoing conflict.

In a brief interview with the New York Post, Trump dismissed claims from Tehran that it may skip upcoming peace talks in Pakistan.

"We're supposed to have the talks," Trump said. "So I would assume, at this point, nobody's playing games."

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