US NATO envoy Whitaker: Iran 'controlled by crazy people'
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- Matthew Whitaker, U.S. Ambassador to NATO, said Sunday that Iran is "controlled by a bunch of crazy people" following escalating Washington-Tehran tensions
- Whitaker characterized President Trump as "a peacemaker" who "wants a deal with Iran"
- Trump, per Whitaker, wants to ensure Iran "never" obtains a nuclear weapon
Why it matters: Publicly labeling a sovereign nation's leadership as "crazy" from a senior U.S. envoy to NATO raises the diplomatic bar and narrows room for backchannel de-escalation ahead of any nuclear negotiation — a striking tonal escalation at precisely the moment Whitaker says Trump wants a deal.
