The war began in late February with a demand for unconditional surrender. It ends, four months later, with the President of the United States defending Iran's right to keep its missiles. Everything between those two sentences is the story of how a war of choice collapsed into a payment for the privilege of returning to the day before it started. Trump entered the conflict … [Read more...] about Trump’s Iran Deal: The U-Turn From Unconditional Surrender to All Carrots, No Stick
Opinion
Trump’s Iranian Deal Delusion Syndrome: Why the Regime Cannot Change Without Force From Outside and Within
There is a recurring affliction in American foreign policy, and President Trump has caught the most acute case on record. Call it Iranian Deal Delusion Syndrome: the unshakable conviction that the Islamic Republic — a regime constitutionally built on hostility to America — can be negotiated into permanent good behavior. Carter had it. Obama had it badly. Trump, who built his … [Read more...] about Trump’s Iranian Deal Delusion Syndrome: Why the Regime Cannot Change Without Force From Outside and Within
The Deal That Won’t Hold — And Why That May Be Correct
The ceasefire negotiation with Iran is built on a category error: the assumption that the Islamic Republic is a rational actor seeking to survive. The regime's own statements argue otherwise. Iran's semi-official Tasnim news agency, citing a knowledgeable source, reported Sunday that Tehran is "not optimistic" about a deal with Washington and that no final understanding has … [Read more...] about The Deal That Won’t Hold — And Why That May Be Correct
Washington’s Iran Capitulation Will Cost More Than the Deal Is Worth
The framework taking shape between Washington and Tehran is not a diplomatic achievement. It is a document that legitimizes an Iranian nuclear program, rewards three years of accelerated enrichment, and asks nothing serious in return. The comparison to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action is flattering to the current effort. The JCPOA, whatever its structural weaknesses, … [Read more...] about Washington’s Iran Capitulation Will Cost More Than the Deal Is Worth
Trump’s Indecisiveness Has Emboldened Iran. Now Trump Is Cornered.
When You Have to Shoot, Don't Talk The problem with Trump's Iran policy is not that he went to war. The war is right. The Islamic Republic is a destabilizing theocracy that has armed every terror proxy in the region, financed the murder of Israelis, Saudis, and Iraqis alike, and spent four decades treating the Strait of Hormuz as a loaded gun pressed against the world's … [Read more...] about Trump’s Indecisiveness Has Emboldened Iran. Now Trump Is Cornered.