Perspective: A Strange Kind of Negotiations…

According to Reuters, President Donald Trump told reporters that Iran launched approximately 100 shore-to-sea missiles at the USS Abraham Lincoln today, all of which were successfully intercepted.

In a video response following the attempted strike, Iranian military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ebrahim Zolfagari stated:

“Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you. Not now, not ever.”

This is what negotiations can look like in 2026: kinetic signaling paired with absolutist rhetoric. Not dialogue, but demonstration.

For allies and adversaries alike, the signal is not just capability—but willingness to act without off-ramps.

— Ali Omur for GP