Latest Analysis and Commentary
by Con Coughlin • April 30, 2025 at 5:00 am
Trump argued that the JCPOA failed to address key issues such as Iran's continued research into producing weapons-grade nuclear material, development of ballistic missiles and Tehran's support for Islamist terror groups in the Middle East. Is he repeating their mistake? Reports emerging from the Omani-mediated talks suggest that, rather than seeking the complete dismantlement of Iran's nuclear programme, Trump is instead prepared to settle for a less demanding settlement, one that allows Tehran to continue with its nuclear activities so long as they are not linked to producing nuclear warheads. At this point, that is folly. If Iran is able to enrich any uranium at all, it can easily enrich it to a weapons-grade level of 90 percent within weeks. Yet, despite compelling evidence that Iran has continued work on its clandestine programme to produce nuclear weapons, American intelligence chiefs such as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard continue to insist that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that Iran is actively attempting to build nuclear weapons. This has led to calls for the administration to undertake an immediate reappraisal of Washington's intelligence assessment regarding Iran's nuclear ambitions to acquire nuclear weapons as a devastating matter of urgency, and for the Trump administration to undertake an urgent reappraisal of Gabbard. Sadly, the Norwegian Nobel Committee will most likely never reward Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize, no matter how much peace he delivers. To them, a worthy recipient was Yasser Arafat, among other leaders now known more for their failures than for success. Trump instead would do well to focus on becoming the greatest leader of the 21st Century, another Churchill, by ridding the world of Iran's nuclear weapons threat for once and all, as well as its ballistic missile program and its ability, through its proxies, to keep exporting terrorism.
Despite compelling evidence that Iran has continued work on its clandestine programme to produce nuclear weapons, American intelligence chiefs such as Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard continue to insist that there is insufficient evidence to conclude that Iran is actively attempting to build nuclear weapons. Pictured: Gabbard at a Senate Committee on Intelligence Hearing on March 25, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
With the Trump administration seemingly intent on negotiating a new nuclear deal with Iran, it is vital that the White House first makes a realistic assessment of the current state of Iran's nuclear programme, which most Western intelligence experts believe is aimed at producing nuclear weapons. After US and Iranian officials met for a third round of talks in the Gulf state of Oman at the weekend, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi openly said that Iran remained extremely cautious about the success of the negotiations to resolve a decades-long standoff. US President Donald J. Trump has invested a substantial amount of political capital in agreeing a new deal with Tehran, aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring its own nuclear weapons arsenal. Trump, a staunch critic of the original nuclear deal negotiated by in 2015 by President Barack Obama, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), dramatically ended American participation in 2018.
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by Lawrence Kadish • April 29, 2025 at 5:00 am
Combine the example of amphibious innovation with their construction of aircraft carriers, next-generation fighter jets, Pacific island military bases, and their intent to master artificial intelligence (AI) and nuclear fusion power, and it becomes obvious to all that it matters not what China says. It is what they are doing. Pictured: J15 fighter jets on China's Liaoning aircraft carrier during a drill at sea, in April 2018. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
There is an old adage many of us heard from our parents, "It's not what you say, it's what you do." So when China creates military equipment that demonstrates a growing skill at an amphibious invasion, it would be best to ignore their rhetoric and concentrate on what they are doing to create the skills, tactics and ability to invade that democratic bastion across the Taiwan Strait. As students of history, the Communist giant's rulers knows full well the difficulty of any invasion that comes from the sea. The British Commonwealth is still traumatized over their World War I amphibious assault on the Turkish Dardanelles Straits, which history records as Gallipoli Campaign. Bogged down on the beach, with Ottoman troops and artillery firing down on them, after months of stalemate, and over a half million casualties combined suffered by both sides, the Allies withdrew. Many New Zealand and Australian soldiers suffered, and memorials abound to their sacrifice.
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by Khaled Abu Toameh • April 28, 2025 at 5:00 am
The appointment of al-Sheikh needs to be seen in the context of Abbas's effort to dupe the international community into believing that he is serious about reforming the PA and sharing power. Abbas's main goal is to rid himself of the image of an autocrat and present himself as a reformist and democrat, so that Western donors will continue to pour money on him – foolishly with no conditions. [T]hose who think that al-Sheikh would be different from Abbas are clueless. Al-Sheikh, a veteran member of Abbas's ruling Fatah faction, is an exact replica of his boss. Abbas and he share the same positions on almost every issue related to Israel. Both have always used harsh rhetoric to condemn and vilify Israel, especially in the international arena. Al-Sheikh may not represent the old guard in the Palestinian leadership, but his statements and positions reflect those of Abbas and the old guard. The Palestinians need real reforms that will end the corruption in PA institutions and remove corrupt and incompetent officials. The last thing they need is a new game of musical chairs designed to deceive both the Palestinians and the international community.
The appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as Vice President of the Palestinian Authority (PA) needs to be seen in the context of PA President Mahmoud Abbas's effort to dupe the international community into believing that he is serious about reforming the PA and sharing power. Abbas's main goal is to rid himself of the image of an autocrat and present himself as a reformist and democrat, so that Western donors will continue to pour money on him. Pictured: Al-Sheikh arrives at the PLO Central Council session in Ramallah on April 23, 2025. (Photo by Zain Jaafar/AFP via Getty Images)
On April 26, a group of unelected Palestinian Authority (PA) officials approved the appointment of Hussein al-Sheikh as "Deputy Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and Vice President of the [non-existent] State of Palestine." PA President Mahmoud Abbas, who also serves as chairman of the PLO Executive Committee, had nominated the 64-year-old al-Sheikh for this position in accordance with a decision by the Palestinian Central Council, a body dominated by Abbas loyalists, to create the position of "Deputy Chairman of the PLO Executive Committee and Vice President of the State of Palestine." The 16-member PLO Executive Committee, which approved the nomination, is also dominated by Abbas loyalists, including al-Sheikh, who was appointed a few years ago by the now 89-year-old Abbas as its secretary general.
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by Gordon G. Chang • April 27, 2025 at 5:00 am
Xi Jinping's regime simply cannot admit it is not able to stand up to Washington. [O]n April 24 about a dozen Chinese officials, including a "high-ranking official from the Chinese Ministry of Finance," were seen entering the U.S. Treasury's main building in Washington at 7:00 in the morning as Chinese security officials attempted to prevent photographers from recording the entry. "In fact, the tariff waivers underscore that not only does Beijing need access to the American market far more than Americans need the China market but also that the United States makes vital products that simply aren't Made in China, and won't be for years at best." — Alan Tonelson, trade expert at RealityChek, to Gatestone, April 25, 2025. When Trump has to raise the temperature, Beijing has just shown him which U.S. products China believes it cannot do without. Beijing has ordered its airlines not to take delivery of Boeing aircraft, and the plane maker has now flown back, from China to the U.S., three 737 Max aircraft that were about to be delivered. Due to the long order backlogs at both Boeing and Airbus, this punishment imposes, as a practical matter, almost no cost on Boeing. Yet if Trump were to order Boeing not to deliver parts or provide services to Chinese airlines, China would soon have to ground a large number of its airliners.
China is making significant trade concessions without saying it is making concessions. Xi Jinping's regime simply cannot admit it is not able to stand up to Washington. When Trump has to raise the temperature, Beijing has just shown him which U.S. products China believes it cannot do without. (Photo by Athit Perawongmetha/Pool/AFP via Getty Images)
China, according to Reuters and Financial Times reporting on April 25, is not uniformly imposing its new 125% across-the-board tariff on American goods. In short, certain imports from the U.S. are in fact coming in tariff-free. Beijing's new policy has not been announced and is not official. "Companies in sectors including aviation and industrial chemicals said that some of their products had already been granted a reprieve, while local media reported that some semiconductors had been spared tariffs," the Financial Times noted. American Chamber of Commerce in China President Michael Hart told Reuters that some pharmaceutical company members of his organization had said they were now able to import products tariff-free. China is also exempting aircraft engines, nacelles, landing gear, and parts.
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by Amir Taheri • April 27, 2025 at 4:00 am
Today, the problem is that religion, in most of its forms, is trying to imitate philosophy, which is the realm of doubt, or replace ideology as a means of organizing political action. The question is: religion in which of its many forms? There are those who see kerygma as a poetic conceit, focusing on catechism, or its Islamic version the Shari'a, as a means of social and political control and domination. Then there are those who, having asserted the kerygma, allow the elastic to be pulled in the opposite direction as far as possible. The problem is that, at some point, the elastic might snap. The global mood has changed from the time Francis was chosen, and Benedict's zeitgeist seems to be making a comeback in a world disappointed with the empty promises of progressivism.
The global mood has changed from the time Pope Francis was chosen, and Pope Benedict's zeitgeist seems to be making a comeback in a world disappointed with the empty promises of progressivism. Pictured: Francis delivers a public address on the main balcony of St. Peter's basilica, in the Vatican on April 20, 2025. (Photo by Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images)
In 2013 when a little-known cardinal from Argentina was elected the Pope of the Catholic Church, taking the title of Francis, many wondered in which direction he might walk in Saint Peter's shoes. The election came as a surprise in the wake of the unprecedented decision of Pope Benedict XVI to abdicate the pontificate. Benedict, a German, had been revealed as a conservative pontiff focused on the doctrine in what he called "a time of upheavals." That was the time when globalism was in the ascendancy and all religions appeared to be on the defensive in the face of political and cultural forces advocating multiculturalism and secularism. In his book Values in a Time of Upheavals, Benedict spoke of "the three myths" that threaten mankind: science, progress and freedom which, transformed into absolutes, pretend to replace religious faith.
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by Majid Rafizadeh • April 26, 2025 at 5:00 am
Talks offer hope of sanctions relief, currency stabilization, and international legitimacy — all while buying time to continue uranium enrichment behind closed doors. The West calls it a "deal." Iran calls it a jackpot. Just imagine the conversations happening behind closed doors in Tehran. Iranian officials are likely saying something like: "...At least we can waste another two or three years pretending to negotiate. We can agree to pause enrichment a little bit, just enough to give them a diplomatic victory.... Trump is so eager to get a discredited Nobel Peace Prize, but the Norwegians will never give it to him -- to them, the 'left' is a religion. Their heroes are Castro and Arafat. Meanwhile, to show Norway how peaceful he is, Trump will let Iran, Russia and China off the hook. Poor fellow, it will not work. He will just find himself the 'sucker' and the 'loser.' Meanwhile he will have thrown away what could have made him a historic great. While he is are celebrating his 'peacefulness' in keeping America out of a war that was not going to happen anyway, we can keep on moving toward our bomb, our missiles and the miniature nuclear warheads to put on them. Quietly. And if we get caught? So what. The Americans will negotiate again!" The idea that you can contain or "monitor" Iran with inspections and enrichment caps is a lovely, romantic fantasy. Sadly, this regime cannot be trusted. It cannot be allowed to keep any part of a nuclear infrastructure. The only acceptable path is total dismantlement or permanent destruction. No centrifuges, no uranium enrichment, no stockpiles, no underground facilities. Nothing. Each round of diplomacy gives the regime more room to maneuver, more time to develop its weapons, and more resources to fund terror proxies across the Middle East and Latin America. The result is not peace — it is proliferation. Unless the West finally gets serious, Iran will cross the nuclear weapons threshold and the world will not only face an extremist, predatory regime armed with nuclear weapons, but the mother of all arms races. Unfortunately, the only solution left is to completely dismantle Iran's nuclear program. No talks. No deals. No illusions. It is time to bring these endless negotiations to an end.
Each round of diplomacy gives Iran's regime more room to maneuver, more time to develop its weapons, and more resources to fund terror proxies across the Middle East and Latin America. The result is not peace — it is proliferation. Pictured: A Fattah hypersonic ballistic missile is displayed during the annual military parade in Tehran, on September 22, 2023. (Photo by AFP via Getty Images)
The Iranian regime is once again celebrating having diplomatic negotiations with the United States, this time under the Trump administration. Tehran's leaders have been framing these renewed talks as a positive that will enable them to retain their hold on power, and their nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs to unleash at a later date. Iranian officials, including leading figures in the foreign ministry, have voiced optimism about the direction of diplomacy, portraying the Trump team's willingness to engage as a step toward "mutual understanding." They would like the world to believe that diplomacy is working — when in reality, it is a trap. The excitement in Tehran is not a signal of peace or cooperation; it is a victory celebration. Whenever a terrorist regime that chants "Death to America" starts smiling about negotiations, it is not diplomacy — it is a win.
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by Gordon G. Chang • April 25, 2025 at 5:00 am
China's regime, despite repeated warnings from Washington, is helping the Yemen-based militia try to kill American sailors. "Providing satellite data that is being used to identify U.S. and other ships in the Red Sea for missile strikes appears to be part of a deal between Beijing and the Houthis that would end attacks on Chinese shipping." — Bill Gertz, Washington Times, April 18, 2025. President Donald Trump should invoke the Trading With the Enemy Act of 1917 and end trade and investment ties with China. China's regime, by its actions and its words, is America's enemy. "We have to stop China before they sink an American ship." — Blaine Holt, retired U.S. Air Force brigadier general, to Gatestone, April 2025.
China, despite repeated warnings from Washington, is helping the Yemen-based Houthi militia try to kill American sailors. Pictured: Houthi soldiers on a missile carrier during a military parade in Sanaa, on September 21, 2023. (Photo by Mohammed Huwais/AFP via Getty Images)
"We can confirm the reporting that Chang Guang Satellite Technology Co., Ltd. (CGSTL) is directly supporting Iran-backed Houthi terrorist attacks on U.S. interests," State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said on April 17th at her regular press briefing Specifically, CGSTL has been providing targeting data and probably raw satellite imagery to the Houthis for their attacks on U.S. Navy vessels in the Red Sea. China did not issue a clear official denial of the State Department charge. By now, one thing is clear: China's regime, despite repeated warnings from Washington, is helping the Yemen-based militia try to kill American sailors. The Trump administration should designate the Chinese regime as an enemy and impose costs accordingly.
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by Khaled Abu Toameh • April 24, 2025 at 5:00 am
Hamas wants to keep its weapons so that it could kill even those Jews who "hide behind stones and trees." Hamas also wants to hold on to its weapons so that it can continue to oppress Palestinians who dare to speak out against the terrorist group. This old but reliable method of control is how Hamas has managed to remain in power for the past two decades. Any deal that allows Hamas to keep its arsenal of weapons is simply a green light to the Islamists to pursue their jihad against Israel. It is a waste of time to demand that Hamas just be removed from power in the Gaza Strip. The Trump administration actually needs to place the issue of disarming Hamas and all the Palestinian terrorist groups not among its demands, but at the top.
Any deal that allows Hamas to keep its arsenal of weapons is simply a green light to the Islamists to pursue their jihad against Israel. It is a waste of time to demand that Hamas just be removed from power in the Gaza Strip. Pictured: Hamas terrorists in Gaza City on January 25, 2025. (Photo by Abood Abusalama/Middle East Images via AFP)
As the war in the Gaza Strip is about to enter its 20th month, the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group has once again repeated its refusal to disarm. It says the weapons are needed to continue its fight against Israel. Those who believe that Hamas would ever agree to lay down its weapons are living in a dream world. There is, unfortunately, only one way to convince Hamas to disarm: military force. Recently, two senior Hamas officials, Mahmoud Mardawi and Bassam Naim, announced their group's absolute rejection of any proposal related to laying down its weapons. They said that other Palestinian terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip also reject any plan to disarm.
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by Drieu Godefridi • April 23, 2025 at 5:00 am
This global catastrophe [China having lied about the human-to-human transmissibility of COVID-19] was followed by China's sending the poison fentanyl – and, after 2019, "just" its precursor ingredients -- to the US, along with other lethal opioids. The smallest amount of fentanyl, equivalent to "a few grains of salt," can cause death. During the last five years, more than 250,000 Americans have been killed by fentanyl overdoses. The pattern is familiar: a Western company invests years in research and development, launches an innovative product, and a short while later an almost identical copy turns up, from China, at a much lower price. No development costs, no middlemen, just direct access to the same market, with subsidized pricing to put the original company out of business. How can the inventor ever win like that? If we continue to allow ourselves to be drained by a regime that never plays by the rules, the United States will end up where Europe already finds itself: with massive deindustrialization, strategic dependency and weakness in times of crisis. Trump appears, at least for now, committed to turning that future around. So let us criticize the orange man: his methods, his sometimes untoward comments, his impulsive shifts. But let us not lose sight that when it comes to the bottom line, in reining in a lawless predatory Chinese market and reindustrializing America, he is right. No one else even tried.
China's lie about the human-to-human transmissibility of COVID-19 was followed by China's sending the poison fentanyl – and, after 2019, "just" its precursor ingredients -- to the US, along with other lethal opioids. The smallest amount of fentanyl, equivalent to "a few grains of salt," can cause death. During the last five years, more than 250,000 Americans have been killed by fentanyl overdoses. (Image source: iStock/Getty Images)
In the tariff war launched by US President Donald Trump against China, much is said about the Americans' strategy, mistakes and "brutality". Less is said about China. Here are three truths about China's relationship with the West that help to better nuance a simplistic thinking that many so readily embrace. 1. China's homicides have poisoned the world During the COVID -19; crisis, vaccines heated up tempers to such an extent that many people lost sight of the fact that vaccines were merely an answer to the original problem: the virus. Whether it escaped from a laboratory or came from a "wet market", COVID is in all instances a legacy of the Chinese communist regime to the world.
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by Lawrence Kadish • April 22, 2025 at 5:00 am
Without the means of harnessing a new, clean, inexpensive, inexhaustible source of power through fusion, our nation may face the difficult choice of either powering AI advances to protect our world leadership or keeping the lights on at our industries and cities -- but not both. (Image source: iStock/Getty Images)
A visionary, an entrepreneur, a futurist, and perhaps one of the most creative of his generation, one still needs to spend considerable time in reading the comments of Elon Musk to determine his current opinion regarding fusion energy. Prior published interviews suggest he has been a very strong proponent of solar and wind power, energy sources that have brought Europe to its knees economically and that, understandably, are not currently in favor at the White House. In 2023, Musk told Joe Rogan during a podcast that "You could actually power the entire United States with 100 miles of 100 miles of solar." Musk did in fact recognize the power of fusion energy but, in this context, he meant the sun generating electricity through solar panels:
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by Khaled Abu Toameh • April 21, 2025 at 5:00 am
In the West Bank and Jerusalem, most Palestinians have ignored Hamas's repeated calls for violence against Israel. "As the dimensions of these unimaginable sadistic horrors are uncovered, I ask you to believe me when I say that I want it to be clear to you, and the whole world, that we stand as your brothers, as human beings, and as citizens of the country, by your side. It is our simple and required moral and human duty to express abhorrence, to cry out loudly against unimaginable crimes. Our voice with be sharp and clear, unapologetic, unhesitant, unfaltering, without proportionality, with no ifs, ands, or buts. There are no dilemmas in the face of atrocities!" — Louis Haj, an Arab resident of the city of Acre, and former tech executive, Globes, October 22, 2023. Now that the Trump administration is holding direct negotiations with Iran, it must demand that the ruling mullahs immediately stop supporting Hamas's attempts to unleash a new wave of terrorist attacks against Israel from within Israel itself and from the West Bank.
After bringing death and destruction on the residents of the Gaza Strip, the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group is now trying to drag Arab Israelis and Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the West Bank into a violent confrontation with Israel. Pictured: Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran, meets with Ismail Haniyeh, then leader of Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Ziyad al-Nakhalah, on July 30, 2024 in Tehran, Iran. (Photo by the Iranian Supreme Leader's Press Office via Getty Images)
After bringing death and destruction on the residents of the Gaza Strip, the Iran-backed Hamas terrorist group is now trying to drag Arab Israelis and Palestinians in east Jerusalem and the West Bank into a violent confrontation with Israel. Hamas and Iran's mullahs will not be content until they see bloodshed and violence spread to areas outside the Gaza Strip. For them, this is a way of distracting attention from the catastrophe they brought on the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip for the past 18 months. They want the world's attention to shift from the Gaza Strip to the West Bank, Jerusalem, and the two-million-strong community of Arab citizens inside Israel.
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by Kaswar Klasra • April 20, 2025 at 5:00 am
Pakistanis are asking why these terrorists, these enemies of peace, continue to find shelter inside Iran. For years, groups like the BNA and its sibling, the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), have launched attacks... Behind the scenes, officials acknowledge the seriousness of the moment. There is discussion not just about diplomacy, but about deterrence. The Iranian regime, meanwhile, remains cagey. Their official statement condemned the attack but offered little detail about any arrests or investigations. The international community has remained muted. Western governments — so quick to condemn terrorism elsewhere — have yet to speak out. There have been no statements from the UN. In Islamabad, the Foreign Office is reportedly considering a range of responses, from diplomatic measures to more direct action.... Among cabinet members, there is now open debate: What is the cost of silence? What is the risk of restraint?
On April 12, eight Pakistani migrant laborers in Iran were murdered in their sleep by the "Baloch Nationalist Army" terrorist organization. And Iran's regime, days later, still has no answers, no arrests, no accountability. Pictured: Pakistani soldiers stand guard at the Pakistan-Iran border in Taftan, on February 25, 2020. (Photo by Banaras Khan/AFP via Getty Images)
ISLAMABAD — The workshop was nothing more than a room carved out of metal and concrete. A few oil drums, rusted toolboxes, and eight tattered mattresses stood lined up against the wall. These were not barracks or hideouts—just a makeshift dormitory for eight Pakistani laborers who had crossed into Iran looking for honest work. That night, they were exhausted after working through the day repairing broken-down trucks in the remote Iranian village of Haiz Abad. They had no enemies, no weapons — just calloused hands and quiet dreams of returning home with enough money to feed their families. But as they slept on April 12, darkness brought something other than rest.
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by Amir Taheri • April 20, 2025 at 4:00 am
However, the first feature of Trumpianism may be its focus on concrete issues rather than intellectual abstractions; issues such as rising crime, illegal immigration, growing poverty, political correctness, unfair trade, and discrimination in the name of fighting discrimination. The second feature is its conviction that politics is the art of doing things rather than talking about what needs to be done. Trumpism leans towards taking the bull by the horns when it comes to issues that concern the average citizens, whom Hillary Clinton labeled "deplorables", rather than analyzing those issues out of existence in elite jargon and fake humanitarianism.
However, the first feature of Trumpianism may be its focus on concrete issues rather than intellectual abstractions; issues such as rising crime, illegal immigration, growing poverty, political correctness, unfair trade, and discrimination in the name of fighting discrimination. Pictured: US President Donald Trump meets with El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, April 14, 2025. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images)
It was barely a month ago when TV watchers across the globe saw a show in which new US president Donald Trump treated visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy as one of those voodoo dolls made for pushing needles into, thus dodging a curse. After the show, TV talking heads speculated that, having come to the White House dressed as a rock star rather than a statesman, Zelensky had angered Trump and thus deserved what he got. Last week, however, Trump hosted another young man dressed as a rock star rather than a statesman, this time with obvious warmth and decorum. The lucky one was El Salvador's 37-year-old President Nayib Bukele. Why such a difference in treating two foreign heads of state?
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by Majid Rafizadeh • April 19, 2025 at 5:00 am
The Iranian regime's primary objective remains preserving its power. The mullahs see their nuclear program as the key to their survival. Any agreement should aim for nothing less than the total and permanent dismantlement of Iran's nuclear capabilities. This means no enrichment, no reprocessing, no heavy-water reactors, and no stockpiles – anywhere on the planet -- of enriched uranium. The dismantlement and enforcement processes must not be outsourced to any international organizations or foreign governments.... Ensuring compliance must lie directly with the United States and its most trusted regional ally, Israel. Both countries have the intelligence capabilities, military readiness and political will to ensure that any nuclear dismantlement is not only thorough but irreversible. Rounds of negotiations, verbal commitments or limited restrictions are invitations to cheat. The mullahs' plan is one of delay and deception. America's plan must be not to let them.
The Trump administration must not lose sight of the Iranian regime's history and intentions. Iran has mastered the art of prolonging negotiations: appearing cooperative while covertly advancing its strategic interests, especially developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. The mullahs see their nuclear program as the key to their survival. Pictured: Mohammed Javad Zarif (center), then Iranian Foreign Minister, shares some laughs with his delegation during nuclear deal negotiations with then US State Secretary John Kerry in Vienna, Austria, on June 30, 2015. (Photo by Carlos Barria/AFP via Getty Images)
The Trump administration, after signaling a preference for dialogue over confrontation, is engaging in renewed a diplomatic effort to end Iran's nuclear program. President Donald J. Trump has made clear that he is not seeking war. "I would prefer to make a deal," he stated recently, "because I'm not looking to hurt Iran." Given the devastating costs of war, focusing on negotiation rather than on military intervention is a noble and responsible course of action. The Iranian regime, however, is not new to such diplomatic games of chess. The mullahs have mastered the art of prolonging negotiations: appearing cooperative while covertly advancing their strategic interests, especially developing ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons, and operating proxies in the region, such as Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, not to mention Iran's own Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) as well as smaller militias.
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by Con Coughlin • April 18, 2025 at 5:00 am
The appointment, however, of several officials to key national security positions in the Trump administration, who vehemently oppose direct military action against Iran, has raised concerns that the White House might be backing away from its commitment to eliminate the threat Iran poses to global security. In particular, these concerns relate to the recent appointments to the Pentagon of influential figures such as John Byers for Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (South and South-East Asia), and Michael DiMino, a former career CIA military analyst and counterterrorism official, for Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense (Middle East). Similarly, concerns have arisen that DiMino will be able to use his position as the Pentagon's new chief Middle East policy adviser to advance an anti-Israel stance while questioning the Trump administration's confrontational stance towards Iran. As with Byers, DiMino was previously linked to the libertarian Koch brothers, having held tenure as a fellow at the Washington think tank Defense Priorities, which is funded by the Koch team. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff recently downgraded Trump's professed demands by asking Iran just to lower uranium enrichment -- a statement he quickly had to walk back. Iran has already stated that it could move its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium to "safe and undisclosed locations," presumably for use at a later time. Russia, in an apparent burst of generosity, has offered to host the enriched uranium. How kind of them! While Trump keeps offering perfect negotiating parameters, such as, "All hostages must be released by Saturday or all hell will break out," or, "Iran issue is easy to solve, they cannot obtain nuclear weapons," his statements always seem to be instantly undermined.
While President Donald Trump keeps offering perfect negotiating parameters, such as, "the Iran issue is easy to solve, they cannot obtain nuclear weapons," his statements always seem to be instantly undermined by officials in his administration. If this continues, the growing band of isolationists, both media personalities such as Tucker Carlson and people who occupy senior positions in the Trump administration, will have won the policy battle -- a victory that will seriously imperil the US and the wider world. Pictured from L-R: Carlson, US Rep. Byron Donalds, Trump and J.D. Vance at the Republican National Convention on July 15, 2024 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Fears that the Trump administration is back-tracking on its declared policy of seeking to dismantle Iran's nuclear programme have deepened following the appointment of several officials to key national security positions who are reportedly opposed to launching military action against Tehran. Following his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington earlier this month, US President Donald Trump was explicit about his determination to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. "Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, and if the talks aren't successful, I actually think it'll be a very bad day for Iran," Trump told reporters after meeting with Netanyahu. Trump even suggested that Israel could be the "leader" for any future military action against Iran if the ayatollahs refused to give up its nuclear weapons programme.
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