OPINION:
On April 1, President Trump addressed the nation on Operation Epic Fury, the military offense he launched against Iran.
Earlier in the day, the White House issued the following post from its RapidResponse47 X account: “From day one, the objectives have been clear: obliterate Iran’s missiles and production, annihilate its navy, sever its support for terrorist proxies, and ensure it never acquires a nuclear weapon.”
This week, the U.S. reached a memorandum of understanding with Iran that achieves none of the Trump administration’s clearly laid-out goals at the start of the mission. In fact, on some points, it undermines them.
Let’s start with obliterating Iran’s missiles and production. There is no doubt that significant damage was done to Iran’s war industry; however, not all of its missiles were destroyed.
On Wednesday, the Trump administration’s goal posts had shifted so dramatically that the president said it’s “a little bit unfair” to tell Iran that it can’t have missiles, as other countries have them.
“A ballistic missile is not the same thing as what we’re talking about,” he told reporters. “Saudi Arabia, Qatar, they all have some, I would say in relative proportion, I think it’s OK [for Iran to have some missiles].”
As for Iran’s navy, the administration has repeatedly told the U.S. public that it’s sitting on the bottom of the Strait of Hormuz. If that were the case, then why would the U.S. need an MOU with Iran to open the strait?
Yes, many of Iran’s big ships were sunk by U.S. operators, but Tehran has held the strait hostage with its fast boats, which have continually been dropping mines in the strait and threatening other tankers looking for passage.
The U.S. never had “complete operational control” over the strait, despite the administration professing as much. Otherwise, no agreement would be needed for Iran to open it.
In terms of Iran severing its support of its terrorist proxies, the text of the MOU doesn’t reflect that or even address Iran’s support for terrorism worldwide.
It does, however, make clear that Israel must hold its fire on Lebanon, where Hezbollah continues to operate and fire rockets at our ally on a daily basis.
On the last point, the MOU reaffirms that Iran “shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.” The language here is vague and open to interpretation for a regime dead set on acquiring a nuclear weapon. Procure is defined as “obtain (something), especially with care or effort.”
Even President Obama’s much-criticized Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) had more precise language, declaring “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”
Mr. Trump’s MOU promises the U.S. will work with regional partners “to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Mr. Trump assures that no U.S. money will be dedicated to this effort and estimates that the U.S. and Israel caused as much as $1 trillion of damage to Iranian infrastructure.
Still, if no civilian bridges, utilities or roadways were bombed, one can only assume that Iran will use these monies to rebuild its missile production and navy, undercutting the administration’s set goal in April.
Mr. Trump has assured the American public that if Iran violates the deal or acts in bad faith, more bombs will be dropped.
But for the past 47 years, Iran hasn’t lived up to any agreement it has ever signed. It has looked only to delay long enough to rebuild its war machine, as the other side looked to diplomacy.
This MOU is far from the “unconditional surrender” Mr. Trump promised at the start of Operation Epic Fury. The U.S. seems to be gaining nothing for its war efforts, while Iran reaps the rewards of surviving the U.S. and Israel’s military thrashing.
“Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!” President Trump wrote on X in January 2000.
With this signed MOU, Iran’s winning streak seems to be holding.
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