Diplomats Dealmakers

• J. Ricardo Martins argues that the "Geneva fiasco" demonstrates the danger of replacing professional diplomats with business-oriented dealmakers in international relations. • The author contends that these dealmakers mistakenly viewed compromise as weakness, which escalated a negotiable crisis into an active conflict with Iran. • This shift is framed as a broader geopolitical risk, threatening the traditional American diplomatic strengths of credibility, predictability, and professional competence.

• The "Geneva fiasco" highlights the risks of replacing professional diplomats with business dealmakers who misinterpret diplomatic compromise as weakness. • This shift in approach transformed a negotiable crisis into an active conflict with Iran, undermining traditional diplomatic strategies. • The situation signals a broader geopolitical decline in American diplomacy, which has historically relied on credibility, predictability, and professional competence.