Cheney skeptical U.S. can negotiate with Iran

Former Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday he does not have confidence in the Obama administration's ability to negotiate with Iran on its nuclear program.

“I don’t have a lot of confidence in the administration to be able to negotiate an agreement," Cheney said on ABC's "This Week." "I think sanctions offer some prospect of bringing the Iranians around.”

Congress is set to vote soon on sanctions for Iran, while Undersecretary of State for Public Affairs Wendy Sherman, the lead U.S. negotiator with Iran has said it's time for a pause in new sanctions to see if negotiations can gain traction.

Cheney said his friends in the region think talks with Iran will go the same way a U.S. military intervention in Syria went - a lot of talk with no action. 

U.S. influence and capability in the Middle East has greatly diminished since President Barack Obama was elected, Cheney said.

 "Our friends no longer count on us, trust us, our adversaries no longer fear us," Cheney said. “We’ve turned our back on the region.”