The US has the upper hand — Trump must demand real concessions from Iran

Since the war with Iran began on February 28, there have been so many reports of “deals” with the regime left in the ruins of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps that it seems almost foolish to respond to another.

But Israeli journalist Amit Segal usually cross-checks all deal reports with senior Israeli officials, including the latest report from Axios’ Barak Ravid, so I keep an eye out for Segal’s posts. On Wednesday, Segal quoted Ravid on X:

“According to @BarakRavid, the US and Iran are closest to an agreement since the beginning of the war. The framework includes:

• During the detailed negotiation period, the naval blockade of the USA and Iran will be gradually lifted.
• With the memorandum of understanding, the United States will commit to gradually lifting sanctions and releasing tens of billions of dollars in frozen assets.
• Negotiations regarding the freezing period of uranium enrichment are still ongoing. Three sources said the freeze would last at least 12 years, while one source predicted the final outcome would be 15 years. The United States also wants to add a clause to the agreement stating that any violations by Iran regarding uranium enrichment will extend the freeze period.
• Two sources claimed that Iran would agree to take its highly enriched uranium out of the country.
• “The United States expects to receive a response from Iran within 48 hours regarding some important points in the draft framework agreement.”

STEVE FORBES: No more misconceptions; America needs to finish the job in Iran

This would be a terrible “deal” that would face harsh criticism from the GOP’s Iran hawks, who want President Trump to “get the job done” and do it dramatically.

The “end game” does not have to be the humiliation of the remnants of the right-wing regime on the ruins of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps atop the fractured Iranian “government.” But they are “crazy,” as both President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have called them — “crazy,” Rubio added from the White House press box Tuesday — and that’s generous.

The surviving “leaders” in Iran (at least the armed ones) are fanatic killers who cannot be trusted. The blockade must remain in effect until full commercial traffic is resumed via the Gulf to every country not named Iran. The denial of enrichment must be completed, and the remains of highly enriched uranium buried under rubble in various areas after precision attacks by the United States must be excavated and handed over to us. Iran’s missile and drone programs must have a limit on the number and range of missiles and must be subject to a strict verification regime. Finally, the regime needs to open the internet for its own people and turn off the money tap for Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

These are reasonable demands, and fanatics in Iran should view them as such—unless they are irrational (they might be). President Trump is not giving up influence. He took it. We have to hope he used every ounce of himself.

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Special Envoys Steve Witckoff and Jared Kushner do not want their names included in the “second Munich agreement” and have previously withdrawn from the agreement. President Trump should not want to risk his centuries-long victory by removing Iran from the field.

I don’t believe in anything but I worry about everything. Iran was finally cornered and helpless. Let’s pray that President Trump will bring an end to this radical and pirate regime and go down in history as the president who brought stability to the Middle East.