Shadowing Practice: Can Trump Negotiate A Better Iran Nuclear Deal Than Obama? - Learn English Speaking with YouTube

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Speaker 1: A hundred days into the Iran war, President Trump says he's looking for a deal to end the fighting.
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Speaker 1: A hundred days into the Iran war, President Trump says he's looking for a deal to end the fighting.
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Speaker 2: Iran is very much intent.
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They want very much to make a deal.
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So far, they haven't gotten there. We're not satisfied with it, but we will be.
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Speaker 1: President Trump has been laser focused on making sure that his deal is better than what his predecessor could achieve. In late May, he posted on Truth Social that if he makes a deal with Iran, it will be a good and proper one, not like the one made by Obama, which gave Iran massive amounts of cash and a clear and open path to a nuclear weapon.
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The president said his deal will be the exact opposite, even though he says it isn't even fully negotiated yet.
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Now that thinking that he has to secure something better than Obama's deal, that's leaving the president somewhat stuck, and it's part of why his administration's negotiations are dragging on.
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Speaker 3: The question, then, is not whether to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, but how.
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Speaker 1: Since the late 1970s, the US has used economic penalties or sanctions against Iran to punish it for a variety of adversarial behaviors, things like state sponsored terrorism, most notably, as well as human rights abuses.
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Speaker 4: Since the 1979 revolution in Iran, all the U.S. administration settled on sanctions as a very effective way short of war to try to compel Iran to do that which we wanted them to do.
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Speaker 1: And the sanctions severely weakened Iran's economy.
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They were broad. They limited Iran's central bank activity, its oil exports, petrochemicals, shipping and port operations, insurance, and the trade of commodities like metals.
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Now, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or the JCPoA, had a simple premise the U.S.
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and other countries would lift some of those sanctions, in effect boosting Iran's economy if Iran agreed to limit its ability to develop a nuclear weapon. The deal was between Iran, the U.S., and a broader consortium.
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It included China, Russia, the U.K., as well as members of the European Union.
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And it had two major effects.
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First, it reduced or eliminated trade sanctions imposed by various countries on the Iranian government.
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And second, it forced Iran to abandon a program intended to develop nuclear weapons.
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Cnbc spoke with representatives of the Obama administration who negotiated the JCPoA back in 2015.
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Speaker 4: What he did with a roughly 160 page agreement that took in total more than five years to negotiate, was to put serious constraints on the Iranian nuclear program, while also.
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And this was the the most important part, massively increasing our ability to verify what Iran was doing with its nuclear program.
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Speaker 1: Iran agreed to slash its ability to enrich uranium and plutonium. It would abandon thousands of centrifuges used to develop nuclear bombs, and it would shrink its stockpiles of the raw inputs for these weapons. Each of these provisions came with sunsets of up to 15 years.
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That, though, did prove to be controversial, and Iran also agreed to allow a third party, the International Atomic Energy Agency, or the IAEA. They were allowed to conduct 24 over seven inspections of nuclear sites to verify Iran's compliance with the agreement.
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Speaker 3: If Iran violates the agreement over the next decade. All of the sanctions can snap back into place.
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Speaker 1: Now, critics of the deal said that it didn't enforce Iran's compliance, and it didn't limit Iran's ability to research and develop nuclear weapons systems.
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Speaker 5: Iran will immediately use the money that it's receiving in sanctions relief to begin to build up its conventional capabilities.
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It will establish the most dominant military power in the region outside of the United States, and it will raise the price of us operating in the region.
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Speaker 1: President Trump then pulled out of the Iran nuclear deal during his first term in the white House.
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Speaker 2: In a few moments, I will sign a presidential memorandum to begin reinstating U.S.
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nuclear sanctions on the Iranian regime.
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The fact is, this was a horrible, one sided deal that should have never, ever been made.
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Speaker 1: The 2015 Iran deal took more than a year and a half of intensive talks.
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It required cooperation from Russia, China and the United Nations.
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It's still considered among many in the international community to be among the most rigorous attempts to rein in Iran's nuclear program, and it's not clear whether or why Iran would agree now to much more than what they did before.
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Speaker 6: The negotiation isn't over.
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Maybe there'll be a rabbit pulled out of the hat.
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We all hope so.
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But right now, the conditions would certainly appear to be far less favorable than they were a decade ago.
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Speaker 1: One of the biggest differences between the Iran negotiations. The US is leading now and what it was doing a decade ago under President Obama, is that the US is pretty much going at this alone.
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It's not working with European allies.
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China, we know, is talking with the Iranians. So now this is in effect, weakening the US's standing a little bit because they're going at this somewhat alone rather than as a unified global effort.
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Speaker 4: All of it could have been stronger. President Obama himself said, you know, ideally he didn't want one spinning centrifuge.
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But the perfect is the enemy of the good.
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Speaker 1: An ongoing fighting across the Middle East is making negotiations that much more difficult.
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Israel is not agreeing to stop fighting Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Iran insists must be part of any deal.
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And Iran's successful choking off of traffic through the Strait of Hormuz over the past few months, that's given them more leverage on the global stage.
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Speaker 7: I think the president believes that he can get this through diplomatic pressure and tough negotiations, and I think he should be given a chance.

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Context & Background

In the midst of ongoing negotiations regarding Iran's nuclear program, various experts debated the effectiveness of previous deals made by past administrations, particularly President Obama's Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPoA). The discussions highlighted the strategic approaches of different leaders, including President Trump's intent to secure a deal perceived as superior. Notably, economic sanctions have been a focal point in shaping Iran's negotiations with the United States, demonstrating how diplomatic relations can be influenced by historical context and international cooperation.

Top 5 Phrases for Daily Communication

  • “Looking for a deal” - A common phrase implying someone's intention to negotiate or find an agreement.
  • “Better than” - Often used for comparisons, especially when discussing improvements or advantages.
  • “Not satisfied” - Indicates dissatisfaction which is an important sentiment in negotiations.
  • “Foreign policy” - A critical term that describes how a country manages its relationships with other nations.
  • “Snap back into place” - A phrase used to describe immediate reapplication, often concerning sanctions or regulations.

Step-by-step Shadowing Guide

Utilizing the shadowing technique is an effective method for enhancing your English speaking practice, particularly with complex subjects like international negotiations. Follow this step-by-step guide to make the most of the video content:

  1. Listen Actively: Play the video and listen to specific segments without repeating. Focus on understanding the context and the key points being discussed.
  2. Pause and Repeat: Use the shadow speak method by pausing after each sentence or significant phrase, then repeat what you hear in your own words. This reinforces both pronunciation and comprehension.
  3. Record Yourself: Use your phone or a recording device to capture your repetitions. Listen back for clarity and fluency; this helps in identifying areas for improvement.
  4. Practice Key Phrases: Focus on the top phrases highlighted earlier. Create sentences of your own using them in different contexts to enhance retention and practical application.
  5. Engage with a Partner: Find a language partner interested in world affairs to practice discussing the content. Use the vocabulary you’ve learned to articulate your ideas effectively.

By following these steps, you can leverage the content of this video to deepen your understanding of both the English language and the intricate details of international relations. Consistent practice through these methods can significantly enhance your vocabulary and speaking confidence as you navigate complex discussions.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

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