Trust Iran – Who Are We Kidding?

A “nuclear deal” between the United States and Iran would – no matter how written – be worse than worthless. It would imagine progress, and accelerate chaos. Nevertheless, here we are – on again, off again – new intelligence shared by Israel with the US, a new European proposal, Iranian belligerence being called “not constructive.” Is there anything “constructive” out of Iran? Who are we kidding? Iran is on takeoff for nuclear weapons, cheated under Obama, slowed by Trump, unworthy of trust, and an unofficial leader of the terror cartel.

The question is not whether an idealistic “peace by well-papered appeasement” will turn the dial, reversing Iran’s nuclear ambitions, or forestall the acquisition of a nuclear weapon. The question is not whether Iran’s signature can be trusted. Bluntly, appeasement fails, Iran’s ink has no value.

The proper question is how the free world plans to deal with Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear weapon. Answers are several, including ramped up deterrence, tough diplomacy, and cyber and kinetic responses.

What boggles the mind is that anyone believes a “nuclear deal” Iran is worth pursuing, the “squeeze worth the juice.” Under Obama-Biden, hundreds of billions bought an empty, violated pledge. That should end the discussion, but apparently does not within The Biden Bunch.

Biden’s team still labors under the misapprehension that Iran will hold back developing a nuclear weapon if we lift sanctions, pay them more money, permit them to have one later. This is like chasing a retreating shadow, sure you can catch it before the sun sets, misplaced diplomatic resources, in a word – senseless, useless, worthless.

Objectively, Iran is a terror-promoting radical Islamic theocracy, a religious dictatorship intent on violent suppression of domestic dissent, projecting regional terrorism, exporting a radical ideology. Their leaders are not interested in a brotherhood of peace-loving nations, team players.

The sooner Biden’s shadow-chasers accept the truth, pivot to hard-headed deterrence, uncompromising opposition to appeasement, and prepare to respond – the better. A little history may help sober up wishful thinkers and pull back those bets on an 11^th hour epiphany by Iran.

Iran asks the US to end long-standing security policies – remove Iran’s terrorist Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) from State’s Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list, lift sanctions to allow military modernization, terror finance, bomb creation, and dismiss human rights objections. That by itself should end the discussion.

But consider history. Theocratic Iran has lied about suppression of human rights, killed thousands of its own citizens for protesting, violated international laws, concealed, denied, and lied about abrogating treaties, uranium enrichment, missile development, terror attacks, and funding terrorist groups. They continue to destabilize Iraq.

Realistically, as Biden’s team seeks a deal with Iran, someone needs to ask – “Doesn’t the art of the deal mean you get something for what you give? Isn’t trust vital to the process? Doesn’t a history of violations give you pause? Doesn’t the latest intel suggest a nuclear weapon is close?”

Nutshell: US diplomacy should turn hard – to deterrence and preparation. We should be prepared for breakout. If not now, when? If not based on Iran’s behavior, intentions, and treaty violations on what? Any new deal is empty, presumes things not so – and as such, is dangerous. Who are we kidding?