Trump's So-Called Iran "Deal"
No deal has been announced yet, but it seems that Trump is capitulating to the IRGC
I was rather surprised when I saw the alleged terms of a deal between the United States and the Iranian government circulating.
The proposed arrangement is a bargain built around the Strait of Hormuz. Under the suppose terms, Iran would reopen the waterway, stop charging tolls on ships, and clear the mines it had placed there so commercial vessels could pass freely again. In return, the United States would lift its blockade on Iranian ports and issue sanctions waivers allowing Iran to sell oil freely. During the same 60-day period, Washington would reportedly consider further sanctions relief and the release of frozen Iranian assets.
Some reports also say Iran would give verbal commitments, through mediators, not to pursue nuclear weapons, to suspend uranium enrichment, and to address its highly enriched uranium stockpile. But even here the picture is muddy: The Guardian, for example, reports that the deal is not expected to include Iran surrendering its highly enriched uranium stockpile. There appears to be no confirmed settlement on Iran’s ballistic missiles. Nor for its support for regional proxies like Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.
I think Trump is in a very stupid position here. Basically, he is negotiating with Iran to reopen the Straits of Hormuz, more or less because the IRGC attacks on the Straits of Hormuz has caused economic problems worldwide, including rising commodities and energy prices.
The problem is that the Straits were open before the war started. Essentially, the closure of the Straits was a consequence of the war. America and Israel attacked the IRGC, and the IRGC lashed out against international shipping and Gulf states, including Kuwait, the UAE, and Qatar.
There is a word for this behaviour: state-backed terrorism. Attacking uninvolved third parties as part of a war strategy for their war with Israel and the United States is terrorism. More, or less, the IRGC is saying: either end your war against us, or everybody else will suffer. The Iranian government frames its actions as being provoked by the United States and Israel. The Iranian government encourages blame for America for the consequences.
It is to the detriment of the media that this is pointed out so infrequently.
