Iran nuclear deal has all three sides getting nervous

Deals such as the Iran nuclear deal are normally broken down to two sides. This one has three. The United States under President Donald Trump, Israel, and anyone else in the world who either don’t trust that Iran will keep their promises or who think the deal is weak even if they do make up one group. Iran and their allies are another. The third group are those in the middle, particularly in Europe, who just wish the whole situation would go away.

The U.S. is making it very clear that we believe Iran has already violated some of the provisions of the agreement. “They’re crossing the line,” said National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster.

At the United Nations today, President Trump indicated the Iran deal hinges on the U.N.’s ability to monitor Iran’s activities properly.

For their part, Iran is downright furious. They’re making threats left and right. President Rouhani, the “moderate” side of the dual leadership in the country shared with Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said the U.S. would pay “high cost” if nuclear deal collapses. Considering we’re getting nothing out of the deal, this can only be construed as a military or terrorist threat.

Everyone else just hopes it will simmer down.

What happens at the United Nations summit this week may determine the future of the Iran deal. Even if an understanding is reached, we can expect this issue to continue to rear its ugly head.

Perspectives

McMaster Says Iran Has Violated Parts of Nuclear Deal: ‘They’re Crossing the Line’ | David Rutz, Free Beacon

“Well, the IAEA has identified and we’ve identified some of these breaches that Iran has then corrected,” McMaster said. “But what does that tell you about Iranian behavior? They’re not just walking up to the line on the agreement. They’re crossing the line at times.”

Trump: Fate of Iran nuclear deal hangs on tough UN policing | George Jahn, Washington Times

The United States asserts that Iran is obligated to open its military sites to IAEA inspection on demand if the agency suspects unreported nuclear activities at any of them. That’s something Tehran stridently rejects, and Iranian nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi urged the agency and its head, Yukiya Amano, to “resist such unacceptable demands.”

Iranian president: U.S. will pay “high cost” if nuclear deal collapses | Shannon Vavra, Axios

Moments before kicking off a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, President Trump said he thinks there’s a “good chance” of peace between the Palestinians and Israelis, adding, “people say it can’t happen, I say it can happen.”

Iran Threatens to Drop ‘Father of All Bombs’ | Adam Kredo, Free Beacon

Iranian General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp’s airspace division, claimed in an interview over the weekend with the country’s state-controlled media that Iran has developed the 10-ton bomb and has the capability to drop them from aircraft.

Reactions

Trump considers ending #Iran deal ahead of key deadline. @SebGorka explains https://t.co/iDCcL5ykTm pic.twitter.com/g1ONJjc0KP

— Security Studies (@SecStudiesGrp) September 18, 2017

Ben Rhodes chuckling about how he defeated opponents of the Iran deal by lying to journalists: "we drove them crazy" https://t.co/rURthMjjbW https://t.co/R3QeWvzRSX

— Omri Ceren (@omriceren) September 18, 2017

LATEST: Iran threatens to drop 10-ton 'father of all bombs,' claims infiltration of US military command centers https://t.co/N3IMb3JkMT

— Adam Kredo (@Kredo0) September 18, 2017

IAEA received info about suspected Iranian nuclear sites but didn't inspect many of them #Iran. https://t.co/GvW5d11l8N

— Nick Short 🇺🇸 (@PoliticalShort) September 18, 2017

Asked if he will pull out of IRAN DEAL, Trump in bilateral meeting with Israel's Netanyahu told us: "You'll see very soon." pic.twitter.com/JBzWaQsSXw

— Jennifer Jacobs (@JenniferJJacobs) September 18, 2017

Netanyahu says US/Israel alliance "never stronger." Appreciates "unequivocal" US support for Israel at the UN. Will discuss Iran aggression. pic.twitter.com/q13ES2q1Ff

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) September 18, 2017

Final Thoughts

If the deal falls apart, most on the left in America and around the world will point at the Trump administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the reason the world will be less safe. Here’s the reality: this deal made the world less safe. It legitimized the efforts of Iran and offered them cover to continue their quest for Middle East domination. They have been rewarded time and time again for duplicity and threats. They need to be forced to stop their nuclear program, not rewarded for pretending to put it on hold.