US President Donald Trump has not given up the diplomatic track on Iran. In the absence of direct talks, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who met with Trump June 28 at the G-20 summit in Osaka, is now center stage. Putin may be the only potential mediator left with the stature and diplomatic chops to prevent both the collapse of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran deal, and a conflict spiral in the Gulf. Whether the Russian president can pull it off, and what he might ask in return, and whether there are other options on Iran, are all open questions.
'A diplomatic way out'