After a marriage dissolves because of spousal abuse, those closest to the victim usually decry that pre-wedding red flags were ignored. Since Iran’s conduct early in negotiations with the United States openly reveals early warning signs, shouldn’t President Donald Trump call off the ceremony before he pays the caterer and commits the dowry?
It should be obvious to a reasonable observer that the memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran was negotiated by a credulous, swooning American bride, such as should prompt anyone to view it with a critical eye.
We have seen this movie before. The inexperienced President Barack Obama had scant legal experience with a Chicago fixer firm. His Secretary of State, John Kerry, a mediocre law student, had briefly prosecuted misdemeanors for a rural county. Their inexperience and credulity gave us the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, guaranteeing future nuclear blackmail. Fortunately, Trump procured an early escape from this suicide pact.
Vice President JD Vance attended Yale Law School, best known for lofty policy talk, but little Harvard-style nuts-and-bolts work. After a year in corporate law, he transitioned to a short stint in venture capital before briefly occupying a Senate seat. Did any of these experiences prepare him for existentially critical negotiations with a hostile Islamic regime? Not in the least.
Vance, betraying scant knowledge of either international history or modern Middle East politics, was convinced by wily Iranian negotiators that Iran wished “to turn over a new leaf,” earnestly vowing to cease “funding revolution in neighboring countries” and “funding terrorism.” None of these lofty promises were actually put in writing, which should have been a small hint.
Rather, Iran interprets the deal as meaning only that America must restrain Israel in Lebanon, with no reciprocation. Shouldn’t this foretell the future and thus alone be a sufficient basis to terminate any further negotiations?
As the ink was barely dry on the deal, Iran also resumed its nauseating pogrom of murdering dissidents. The only truly tangible American benefit from the deal seemed to be the promise to open the Strait of Hormuz, without tolls, for at least the 60 days of potential negotiation. Yet, in recent days, Iran has continued bombing ships in the strait as it claims control over the international waterway, contrary to international law.
Perhaps one future, albeit vague, benefit of the negotiations would be for Iran to strengthen its present offer merely to “downblend” uranium on site. While Vance has said that Iran “will turn over its enriched uranium,” that term of endearment is nowhere to be found in the deal.
TRUMP DECLARES IRAN DEAL DEAD: WAS THIS THE PLAN ALL ALONG?
If Iran, as is likely, does not promise more than “downblending,” this will allow Iran later to re-enrich and have a nuclear weapon very shortly after Trump leaves office, then tout improved defenses financed by billions from the deal. Combined with the freedom to develop its missile program, this deal practically guarantees future nuclear Armageddon or at least related extortion, threatening not only Israel but also America.
Clearly, Iran continues to flout its vague oral promises of cooperation and reform. Trump is presently bombing, but to what end? Unfortunately, he is allowing his team to continue negotiations, an ominous sign. If Iran is willing to risk blowing up a one-sided deal in its favor, no piece of paper will ever be honored. Trump has already declared the deal “over,” and would wisely show American strength if, in the face of this continued abuse, he calls off the engagement talks indefinitely — at least until a new suitor emerges from Iran’s rubble, unaccompanied by the Revolutionary Guard.
John D. O’Connor is a former federal prosecutor and the San Francisco attorney who represented W. Mark Felt during his revelation as Deep Throat in 2005. O’Connor is the author of the books Postgate: How the Washington Post Betrayed Deep Throat, Covered Up Watergate and Began Today’s Partisan Advocacy Journalism and The Mysteries of Watergate: What Really Happened. O’Connor and Mark Felt also collaborated on the 2006 book, A G-Man’s Life.