On May 10, 2018 at a speech in Indiana, Trump said “And I hope to be able to make a deal with them, a good deal, a fair deal, a good deal for them, better for them.” (About 70 minutes into the video.)
The words “make a deal” ordinarily mean to negotiate. Not with Trump. Trump does not propose a negotiation with Iran, because to negotiate is to bring about something by discussion. Discussion is “the action or process of talking about something”, whereas Trump has imposed sanctions on Iran again. Sanctions are not discussion. They are applications of force. As in “The Godfather”, Trump is holding a gun to Iran’s head and demanding a signature on a contract. This is definitely not negotiation.
The Indiana statement reinforces what Trump said earlier even more clearly. One day after pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, Trump threatened Iran:
“So we’re going to make either a really good deal for the world, or we’re not going to make a deal at all. But they’ll negotiate, or something will happen. And hopefully, that won’t be the case.”
There can be no negotiation between the U.S. and Iran in the current conditions of Trump sanctions and threats. It’s a contradiction in terms. Whatever words are exchanged between the U.S. and Iran, they cannot be termed a negotiation. Trump is acting exactly like any statist, which is to impose policies by force over the objections of citizens who disagree. The only difference is that Trump, as head of an empire, is taking the statism onto the world as a whole and Iran in particular.
Furthermore, Trump’s statements about the deal are blatantly false. Take inspections for example. Trump’s off-stated reservations are contradicted by the IAEA:
“Meanwhile, Yukiya Amano, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) nuclear inspectors, said on Tuesday that Iran continues to abide by its commitment in the deal.
“‘Iran is subject to the world’s most robust nuclear verification regime under the JCPOA, which is a significant verification gain,’ he said.
“‘As of today, the IAEA can confirm that the nuclear-related commitments are being implemented by Iran.’
“There have been at least 10 round of inspections conducted by the IAEA in Iran since the deal was signed in July 2015.”
In my opinion, Trump has to know this. He’s not a dummy. He has to know that the funds restored to Iran were theirs to begin with, and he has to know that the deal does not simply sunset in 2025. In other words, I think he’s lying every which way about the deal. He’s telling the truth about his agenda, however, which is to control Iran’s policies in some detail. Breaking the deal, making demands, imposing sanctions and posing threats are his methods of attempting to bring Iran to heel. He wants to compel Iran to obey. He wants Iran to submit. Predictably, Khamenei is already telling Trump to go to hell. I do not know what other reaction Trump could reasonably have expected. Khamenei knows that Trump is not really offering to negotiate at all. There is no “good faith” left between the U.S. and Iran. Trump’s actions and threats have demolished it.
Trump is lying the U.S. into acts of war against Iran by the U.S. and its allies in the region and EU toadies. The runup to attacking Iraq on no reasonable basis was crystal clear, involving as it did outrageous lies and propaganda. In the Iran case, the repetition of charges has begun. There is also a devious false rationale being laid down as foundation for attacking Iran, which is that Iran poses a nuclear threat if it fails to kowtow completely to the U.S. demands. In other words, failure of Iran to give in to the U.S. ultimatum will be treated as a casus belli. Iran can never satisfy Trump’s demands that it never become a nuclear state and in perpetuity allow international bodies to monitor its every military move at will. No state can accept such terms without abject surrender. Anything that Iran might do would become a cause for Western complaint and further action in such an impossible scenario.
9:51 am on May 12, 2018
