Felicia Schwartz

Washington, D.C., United States

Diplomatic Correspondent at POLITICO

@FT's US foreign affairs & defense correspondent. previously @WSJ's Israel/Palestinian Territories & State Department correspondent. [email protected]

Articles

Can Witkoff beat the odds?

6 days ago | politico.com | Robbie Gramer |Felicia Schwartz |Connor O'Brien

Special envoy Steve Witkoff arrives for a meeting at the Elysee Palace in Paris on April 17. | Pool photo by Ludovic Marin With help from Daniel Lippman and Nahal ToosiSubscribe here | | Can STEVE WITKOFF seal the deal? We posed this question to seven administration officials, conservative foreign policy experts and GOP senate aides, as DONALD TRUMP’s favorite diplomatic troubleshooter prepares to head to Rome this weekend for a second round of high-stakes nuclear talks with Iran.
Should Syria get sanctions relief?

1 week ago | politico.com | Felicia Schwartz |Robbie Gramer |Eric Bazail-Eimil

With help from Jack Detsch and Nahal ToosiSubscribe here | | FIRST IN NATSEC DAILY — The State and Treasury Departments are weighing plans to ease the longstanding economic noose on Syria as the United States looks to influence the country’s fragile transition following the toppling of BASHAR ASSAD’s regime.
Inside Trump's strategy to get China to the negotiating table

1 week ago | politico.com | Megan Messerly |Ari Hawkins |Phelim Kine |Felicia Schwartz

President Donald Trump wants Chinese leader Xi Jinping to call. Making trade deals with China’s neighbors is part of a broader White House strategy to get him to the negotiating table.
Inside Trump's strategy to get China to the negotiating table

1 week ago | flipboard.com | Megan Messerly |Ari Hawkins |Phelim Kine |Felicia Schwartz

10 hours agoHongkong Post, Hong Kong's government department for postal services, announced Wednesday they will "not collect any so-called tariffs on behalf of the US and will suspend the acceptance of postal items containing goods destined to the US." In a statement, Hongkong Post said it would be suspending …
Witkoff spoke briefly with Iranian counterpart amid Trump’s nuclear pressure campaign

1 week ago | politico.com | Felicia Schwartz |Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing

The early conversations between the U.S. and Iran are the first publicly known talks since Trump took office. Steve Witkoff has said negotations with the Iranians will continue next week. | Mark Schiefelbein/AP Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s pointman for negotiations across the globe, briefly spoke directly with Iranian leaders Saturday, as the two countries said negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program would continue next week.
Witkoff spoke briefly with Iranian counterpart amid Trump’s nuclear pressure campaign

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Felicia Schwartz |Giselle Ruhiyyih Ewing

Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s pointman for negotiations across the globe, briefly spoke directly with Iranian leaders Saturday, as the two countries said negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program would continue next week. Saturday’s brief face-to-face encounter between Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was the first known direct contact between the U.S. and Iran since Trump took office in January.
Trump’s tariff gambit puts an eye toward China

1 week ago | politico.com | Daniel Desrochers |Ari Hawkins |Phelim Kine |Megan Messerly |Felicia Schwartz

A POLITICO survey of more than 15 countries, including five key Asian trading partners, suggested confusion about the administration’s approach. President Donald Trump departs after signing an executive order at an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 2, 2025.
Diplomats see ‘mess’ in Trump’s trade strategy

1 week ago | yahoo.com | Daniel Desrochers |Ari Hawkins |Phelim Kine |Megan Messerly |Felicia Schwartz

Trump administration officials are negotiating trade deals with select allies, while leaving most countries hit by Donald Trump’s tariffs in the dark about what the president wants from them. The administration is embarking on a daunting sprint of talks with more than 70 countries in 90 days, amid a turbulent stock market and growing disapproval from Americans.
The clock is ticking for Iran

1 week ago | politico.com | Robbie Gramer |Felicia Schwartz |Eric Bazail-Eimil

Special envoy Steve Witkoff is open to allowing Iran to continue its nuclear program — so long as Tehran doesn’t weaponize it. | Hossein Fatemi/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images With help from Nahal Toosi, Daniel Lippman and Phelim KineSubscribe here | | President DONALD TRUMP set a 60-day deadline for Iran to make progress on talks over its nuclear program or face potential military retaliation, according to four people familiar with the matter.
Boeing wins contract to build next-generation US fighter jet

1 month ago | ft.com | Felicia Schwartz

Donald Trump on Friday awarded a multibillion-dollar contract to build the next-generation US stealth fighter jet to American aerospace...