Iran is refinancing the crisis. Beautifully said Joshua! I fear the United States has lost the will to win a war in favor of a “deal”. Instead, we settle for vague MOUs. When are we going to learn that you cannot negotiate with a fanatical regime driven by religious apocalyptic fanaticism? World War II showed us the way to win a war and achieve lasting peace. It was not the tactic of let’s make a deal.
This has become a daily soap opera where the bets are on what statement Trump will make about the Regime, and he nevere fails to do so. He needs to understand this is not a real estate deal, but an issue with people with an ideology who will never, ever give up. For them, shame does not and cannot exist. While Trump puts out the call on a daily basis that they're close to a deal, in the next 24 hours, he's going to blast them into outer space. There was a strong start, but with each stop for 'ceasefires', 'negotiations,' and threats, Trump has shown weakness. Strength is only believable with follow through, not words. The IRGC can smell weakness a mile away. The Regime may be doing this to stall until the mid-terms to make Trump look weak, with a loss for the Republicans. There are a lot of nefarious players in this who would like to see our country dismantled. I sincerely hope there will be a positive outcome for the US, Israel, and most especially, the Iranian people.
Joshua eloquently states what we all know, but in such a sharp, cut to the point manner. The likelihood that Hamas is going to disarm is equivalent to the likelihood that Trump is going to become a mensch.
Thank you for articulating so clearly, what everyone with a brain has been able to see since the first announced “ceasefire”. It beggars belief that, after 40-something years, Western nations have not grasped that Iran does not think like,behave like or get motivated like they do.
The remedy for dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran is the same one that was applied to that other fanatical murderous regime where educated “sophisticated” people from an advanced and “civilised” society attempted to exert their will and terror on the world. It ended in Berlin.
The Oil price is all you need to know as far as Trump is concerned
OIl at $65 to $75 - Trump attacks Iran
Oil at $80 to $100 - Trump say negotiations back on
Although many in Israel are angry at Trump, I am not. November 2026 is coming fast and if the Jew hating, Israel hating Democrats win - Israel and America have a much bigger problem than Iran.
My working assumption is: If the GOP somehow wins in November then Trump is free for the next two years in so far as Iran is concerned. If the GOP loses the House and the Senate, then he has until January 20, 2027 to do what he needs to do in Iran. After that its impeachment and obstruction.
If Gadi Eisenkot wins in Israel, similarly, it will be very bad for Israel. I see him as a mix of Yair Lapid, Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak. He may win anyway as there is Bibi fatigue and his coalition is splinterng fast.
Bottom line: The West doesn't get the Iranian strategy. Iran has been around in some form for five thousand years. They are good at this and not going anywhere.
"Delay must stop protecting the Iranian regime, and delay must start costing it": that would be fine, but how can that be achieved given the dead-end path Trump and Netanyahu have taken? The cost of this failure is being borne primarily by the US: loss of face, the exposure of the vulnerability of American military superiority, anxious allies, and the threat of escalation. As for Israel, the only gain is, at best, that "the grass has been mowed" once again. It has certainly not turned out the way Israeli intelligence agencies led the gullible Trump to believe it would.
Do we even know what information Israeli intelligence agencies have provided to Trump? I seriously doubt it. Newspapers and so called pundits report all kinds of nonsense. Those who know keep their mouths shut.
"The West was being asked to begin delivering tangible benefits while Iran’s most important obligations remained matters for future discussion. This is not accidental ambiguity. The ambiguity is the product."
Ambiguity was never the product: it was the negotiating tactic. The objective was to allow the US to make concessions without appearing to make concessions. The Iranians endorsed the vagueness because it gave them strategic room to consolidate their stranglehold and further exploit US weakness.
Great article. Western world leaders — especially the US — need to read and heed it. But it feels like it is shouting into the void.
Trump is conflicted, being pulled in different ways by different advisors, nations, intelligence agencies, and military folk. He is not a wartime president, doesn't want to send soldiers into harms way and doesn't want to kill the enemy either, as his conflicting statements and decisions make his views on the "enemy" murky.
I also voted for Trump, based largely on his strong support of Israel and against anti-semitism during his first presidency. His support in this regard during his second presidency has been inconsistent as he embraced various Muslim nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
He speaks of negotiations that the other side say aren't taking place. He provides Israel with weapon support but places limits on their efforts to deal with hamas in Gaza and hezbollah in Iran.
He does not have the mindset of a wartime president.
Iran is refinancing the crisis. Beautifully said Joshua! I fear the United States has lost the will to win a war in favor of a “deal”. Instead, we settle for vague MOUs. When are we going to learn that you cannot negotiate with a fanatical regime driven by religious apocalyptic fanaticism? World War II showed us the way to win a war and achieve lasting peace. It was not the tactic of let’s make a deal.
Before making deals, it is essential to understand the mindset of your opponent.
This has become a daily soap opera where the bets are on what statement Trump will make about the Regime, and he nevere fails to do so. He needs to understand this is not a real estate deal, but an issue with people with an ideology who will never, ever give up. For them, shame does not and cannot exist. While Trump puts out the call on a daily basis that they're close to a deal, in the next 24 hours, he's going to blast them into outer space. There was a strong start, but with each stop for 'ceasefires', 'negotiations,' and threats, Trump has shown weakness. Strength is only believable with follow through, not words. The IRGC can smell weakness a mile away. The Regime may be doing this to stall until the mid-terms to make Trump look weak, with a loss for the Republicans. There are a lot of nefarious players in this who would like to see our country dismantled. I sincerely hope there will be a positive outcome for the US, Israel, and most especially, the Iranian people.
Joshua eloquently states what we all know, but in such a sharp, cut to the point manner. The likelihood that Hamas is going to disarm is equivalent to the likelihood that Trump is going to become a mensch.
Thank you for articulating so clearly, what everyone with a brain has been able to see since the first announced “ceasefire”. It beggars belief that, after 40-something years, Western nations have not grasped that Iran does not think like,behave like or get motivated like they do.
The remedy for dealing with the Islamic Republic of Iran is the same one that was applied to that other fanatical murderous regime where educated “sophisticated” people from an advanced and “civilised” society attempted to exert their will and terror on the world. It ended in Berlin.
The Oil price is all you need to know as far as Trump is concerned
OIl at $65 to $75 - Trump attacks Iran
Oil at $80 to $100 - Trump say negotiations back on
Although many in Israel are angry at Trump, I am not. November 2026 is coming fast and if the Jew hating, Israel hating Democrats win - Israel and America have a much bigger problem than Iran.
My working assumption is: If the GOP somehow wins in November then Trump is free for the next two years in so far as Iran is concerned. If the GOP loses the House and the Senate, then he has until January 20, 2027 to do what he needs to do in Iran. After that its impeachment and obstruction.
If Gadi Eisenkot wins in Israel, similarly, it will be very bad for Israel. I see him as a mix of Yair Lapid, Ehud Olmert and Ehud Barak. He may win anyway as there is Bibi fatigue and his coalition is splinterng fast.
Bottom line: The West doesn't get the Iranian strategy. Iran has been around in some form for five thousand years. They are good at this and not going anywhere.
"Delay must stop protecting the Iranian regime, and delay must start costing it": that would be fine, but how can that be achieved given the dead-end path Trump and Netanyahu have taken? The cost of this failure is being borne primarily by the US: loss of face, the exposure of the vulnerability of American military superiority, anxious allies, and the threat of escalation. As for Israel, the only gain is, at best, that "the grass has been mowed" once again. It has certainly not turned out the way Israeli intelligence agencies led the gullible Trump to believe it would.
It ain't over 'til it's over. I'm frustrated, but I am hopeful.
Do we even know what information Israeli intelligence agencies have provided to Trump? I seriously doubt it. Newspapers and so called pundits report all kinds of nonsense. Those who know keep their mouths shut.
"The West was being asked to begin delivering tangible benefits while Iran’s most important obligations remained matters for future discussion. This is not accidental ambiguity. The ambiguity is the product."
Ambiguity was never the product: it was the negotiating tactic. The objective was to allow the US to make concessions without appearing to make concessions. The Iranians endorsed the vagueness because it gave them strategic room to consolidate their stranglehold and further exploit US weakness.
Great article. Western world leaders — especially the US — need to read and heed it. But it feels like it is shouting into the void.
Trump thinks he's brilliant and the greatest dealmaker. But he's increasingly looking like a fool.
First it was Iraq now it’s Iran and this funds the military industrial complex
Does any one, including President Trump, know who is negotiating and sign the deal from the Iranian side?
You are a very very smart man !
Trump is conflicted, being pulled in different ways by different advisors, nations, intelligence agencies, and military folk. He is not a wartime president, doesn't want to send soldiers into harms way and doesn't want to kill the enemy either, as his conflicting statements and decisions make his views on the "enemy" murky.
I also voted for Trump, based largely on his strong support of Israel and against anti-semitism during his first presidency. His support in this regard during his second presidency has been inconsistent as he embraced various Muslim nations, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.
He speaks of negotiations that the other side say aren't taking place. He provides Israel with weapon support but places limits on their efforts to deal with hamas in Gaza and hezbollah in Iran.
He does not have the mindset of a wartime president.