Iranian MOU is far from Trump’s promise of ‘unconditional surrender’

OPINION:

On April 1, President Trump addressed the nation on Operation Epic Fury, the military offensive he had launched against Iran in February.

Earlier in the day, the White House issued the following post from its Rapid Response 47 account on X: “From day one, the objectives have been clear: obliterate Iran’s missiles and production, annihilate its navy, sever its support for terrorist proxies, and ensure it never acquires a nuclear weapon.”

This week, the U.S. reached a memorandum of understanding with Iran that fails to achieve any of the Trump administration’s clearly laid-out goals at the start of the mission. In fact, on some points, it undermines them.

Let us start with obliterating Iran’s missiles and production. Iran’s war industry undoubtedly sustained significant damage, but not all its missiles were destroyed.

On Wednesday, the Trump administration shifted its goalposts so dramatically that the president said it is “a little bit unfair” to tell Iran that it cannot have missiles, as other countries have them.

“A ballistic missile is not the same thing as what we’re talking about,” he told reporters. “Saudi Arabia, Qatar, they all have some, I would say in relative proportion, I think it’s OK [for Iran to have some missiles].”

As for the Iranian navy, the administration has repeatedly told the American public that it is sitting on the bottom of the Strait of Hormuz. If that were the case, then why would the U.S. need a memorandum of understanding with Iran to open the strait?

Yes, U.S. operators sank many of Iran’s big ships, but Tehran has held the strait hostage with its fast boats, which have continually been dropping mines in the strait and threatening other tankers looking for passage.

The U.S. never had “complete operational control” over the strait, despite the administration’s assertions. Otherwise, no agreement would be needed for Iran to open it.

In terms of Iran severing its support of its terrorist proxies, the text of the memorandum of understanding does not require such a severance or even address Iran’s support for terrorism worldwide.

It does, however, make clear that Israel must hold its fire on Lebanon, where Hezbollah continues to operate and fire rockets at our ally on a daily basis.

On the last point, the memorandum of understanding reaffirms that Iran “shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.” The language here is vague and open to interpretation for a regime dead set on acquiring a nuclear weapon. Procure is defined as “obtain (something), especially with care or effort.”

Even President Obama’s much-criticized Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action had more precise language. It declared that “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.”

Mr. Trump’s memorandum of understanding promises that the U.S. will work with regional partners “to develop a definitive, mutually agreed plan with at least $300 billion for the reconstruction and economic development of the Islamic Republic of Iran.”

Mr. Trump assures that no U.S. money will be dedicated to this effort and estimates that the U.S. and Israel caused as much as $1 trillion in damage to Iranian infrastructure.

Still, if no civilian bridges, utilities or roadways were bombed, one can assume only that Iran will use this money to rebuild its missile production and navy, undercutting the administration’s set goal in April.

Mr. Trump has assured the American public that if Iran violates the deal or acts in bad faith, more bombs will be dropped.

Yet for the past 47 years, Iran has not lived up to any agreement it has ever signed. It has sought only to delay long enough to rebuild its war machine while the other side sought diplomacy.

This memorandum of understanding is far from the “unconditional surrender” Mr. Trump promised at the start of Operation Epic Fury. The U.S. seems to be gaining nothing for its war efforts, while Iran reaps the rewards of surviving the U.S. and Israel’s military thrashing.

“Iran never won a war, but never lost a negotiation!” President Trump wrote on X in January 2020.

With this signed memorandum of understanding, Iran’s winning streak seems to be holding.