TIMES OF ISRAEL
The US is negotiating with Iran like a venture capitalist
Ariel Beery
April 29, 2026

If there is one meme that sums up the mistake many make when thinking about the negotiations between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States of America, it’s the one best expressed by Mir Mohammad Alikhan’s description of the negotiating teams. He writes, “Irani: PhD, PhD, PhD, PhD, PhD,” to contrast with the other team: “American: Real Estate Developer, Real Estate Lawyer, Venture Capitalist.” Most people who read the tweet used it to make fun of the Americans for being outwitted at the negotiating table, echoing a sentiment shared by many if not most policy analysts and politicians. As someone who has experienced both the policy and private equity worlds (of which venture capital, or VC, is a subset), I’m pretty sure they are wrong, and it is the Islamic Republic that has been outgunned. READ MORE