Sunday, May 21, 2017

That's Quite the Dilemma Iran Has Now

I've written that I think the Iran nuclear deal is horrible. And that despite the benefits to Iran being front-loaded (nice job Obama and Kerry!), I'd rather cancel the deal than let it exist to encourage the West to pretend it is working and that Iran is contained.

But President Trump's virtual declaration of war on Iran puts the deal in a new light:

Donald Trump slammed Iran during his Saudi Arabia speech in Riyadh on Sunday.

In an address to 50 leaders from Muslim-majority countries, the president, said countries must unite to isolate Iran until the regime committed to becoming a “partner of peace.”

“From Lebanon to Iraq and Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region,” Trump said.

"For decades Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror; it’s a government that speaks openly of mass murder, vowing the destruction of Israel, death to America, and ruin for many leaders and nations in this very room.

By rallying the Arab world (and to a far lesser degree, the broader Moslem world) to a fight to resist Iran, Iran has a problem with the deal existing--not the West.

If Iran abides by the deal, Iran gives Trump about a decade to defeat Iran during which Iran won't have nuclear weapons.

And if Iran cheats on the deal, we will presumably call Iran on that and justify harsher measures against Iran in the alliance against Iran.

Iran thought they'd shackled America with that nuclear deal. In one speech, Iran finds the handcuffs are on them.

Now that's Smart Diplomacy.