⭕️🧵In a few hours, the second round of negotiations between the US and Iran will begin. Here is a guide explaining how a “Turkish Bazaar”—or, more accurately, a Middle Eastern bazaar—works and how to avoid its pitfalls. By the way, 'bāzār' is a Persian word, meaning "place of prices."
📌 The item you are selling: Most of the time, the item you want to sell is not even worth a fraction of the price you’re asking for, but you make it seem like it’s the best thing since sliced bread. You also play the game of claiming “these items are not for sale” to increase their perceived value.
📌 Now comes the pre-negotiations: First, you play hard to get, forcing the other side to make compromises before talks even begin.
📌 Second, you publicly take an uncompromising stand and advertise it everywhere: “I refuse to even negotiate about certain items.” But at the negotiation table, you "suddenly" agree to the other side's "asking price," which you deny publicly. You have no issue giving the other side their asking price, because you have no intention of actually giving them the “real item for sale”—you will most likely sell them a fake item instead.
📌 Third, stall—prolong the negotiation as much as possible to discourage the other side and make them offer a higher price for your merchandise.
📌 In the Middle East, the only language that counts is strength. It’s survival of the fittest—the more people fear you, the stronger your position. Making threats or showing off your powerful army is not as effective as actually using it. The US needed to do two things: First, strike Iran hard and consistently to instill fear, then play hard to get until they beg you to stop. Second, send skilled Middle Eastern negotiators who know how to negotiate in the region; sending real estate developers is doomed to fail.
📌 To summarize: Watch everything that has unfolded so far, and what will unfold in the coming weeks, and you will see this is a classic Middle Eastern bazaar.
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.
