Macron struck a positive note, too. \u201cIt\u2019s not a mystery. We did not have the same starting positions, stances, and neither you nor I have a habit of changing our stances or going with the wind,\u201d the French leader said. \u201cThat being said, I can say that we\u2019ve had a very frank discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n
The second hurdle is getting Iran to accept documents that supplement the deal, which already covers a hundred and fifty-nine pages. In interviews over the weekend, the Iranian Foreign Minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, told me that Tehran is in no mood to accommodate further demands, as the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency has repeatedly verified Tehran\u2019s compliance while the United States has violated its obligations.<\/p>\n
As part of the expanded compromise, Macron is also using his state visit to urge Trump to keep American forces in Syria<\/a>\u2014partly to stem Iran\u2019s ability to widen its influence. More than two thousand U.S. troops are deployed in Syria to help defeat around two thousand residual isis<\/em> fighters. The Islamic State holds two pockets of territory in the Euphrates River Valley and along the Syrian border with Iraq. \u201cTogether, in the long run, we can find a solution to the Syrian situation,\u201d Macron said at the press conference.<\/p>\n Earlier this month, Trump declared \u201cMission accomplished\u201d regarding the U.S. deployment in Syria and asked his generals to extricate American troops within four to six months. Trump seemed to have at least listened to Macron\u2019s appeal. \u201cWe want to come home,\u201d the President said. \u201cWe\u2019ll be coming home. But we want to leave a strong and lasting footprint.\u201d<\/p>\n For a man who has few friends among foreign leaders\u2014and often ignores the advice they offer\u2014Trump may have met a moderating influence in Macron. The President, as he has on other policy issues, may change his mind in the weeks ahead. The central question, of course, is whether he can stomach the idea of any diplomacy with Iran.<\/p>\n Robin Wright has been a contributing writer to The New Yorker since 1988. Her first piece on Iran won the National Magazine Award for best reporting. A former correspondent for\u00a0the Washington\u00a0Post, CBS News,\u00a0the Los Angeles\u00a0Times,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0Sunday Times\u00a0of London, she has reported from more than\u00a0a\u00a0hundred and forty countries. She is also a fellow at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. She has been a fellow at the Brookings Institution and\u00a0the\u00a0Carnegie Endowment for International Peace,\u00a0as well as\u00a0at Yale, Duke, Dartmouth, and the University of California, Santa Barbara.<\/em><\/p>\n Wright\u00a0received the U.N. Correspondents\u00a0Association\u00a0Gold Medal for international coverage, and the Overseas Press Club Award for\u00a0the \u201cbest reporting in any medium requiring exceptional courage and initia\u00adtive,\u201d\u00a0for\u00a0her\u00a0coverage of African wars. The American Academy of Diplomacy\u00a0named her\u00a0journalist of the year for \u201cdistinguished reporting and analysis of international affairs.\u201d She\u00a0also won the National Press Club Award for diplomatic reporting and has been the recipient of a MacArthur Foundation grant.<\/em><\/p>\n Wright is the author of several books, including \u201cThe Last Great Revolution: Turmoil and Transformation in Iran<\/a>,\u201d\u00a0\u201cSacred Rage: The Wrath of Militant Islam<\/a>,\u201d and \u201cDreams and Shadows: The Future of the Middle East<\/a>,\u201d which was selected by\u00a0the New York\u00a0Times\u00a0and\u00a0the Washington\u00a0Post\u00a0as one of the most notable books of\u00a02008. Her book, \u201cRock the Casbah: Rage and Rebellion\u00a0Across the Islamic World<\/a>,\u201d was selected as\u00a0the best book on international affairs\u00a0by the Overseas Press Club.<\/em><\/p>\n Reading List<\/strong>: Robin Wright recommends David Remnick\u2019s \u201cNegotiating the Whirlwind<\/a>,\u201d about John Kerry\u2019s mission in the Middle East.<\/em><\/p>\n