Trump surrenders to Iran at Versailles Palace – where Germany surrendered to end WW I.

You couldn’t have a better image than Trump signing the “Memorandum of Understanding” (MOU) with Iran at the historic Versailles Palace where Germany surrendered, marking the end of WW I.

Meanwhile, the Wall St. Journal probably did not intend to write a humorous article when they published An Annotated Analysis of Trump’s Iran Deal, but they did so anyway when they explained what all the diplomatic double speak really means. They wrote, for example:

Paragraph 2. The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran undertake to respect each other’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and to refrain from interfering in each other’s internal affairs.

WSJ analysis
President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu began the war calling on Iranians to overthrow the regime, a goal that faded as the government in Tehran held firm.

Or consider this one:
Paragraph 13. After signing this memorandum of understanding and subject to the beginning of the implementation of paragraphs 1, 4, 5, 10 and 11 of this memorandum of understanding, and the continuing implementation of these measures, the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will start negotiations regarding the final deal exclusively on the other paragraphs.

WSJ analysis
Limits the scope of discussion in the second phase, leaving out Iran’s ballistic missile program and its network of regional militias. The updated version expands the list of paragraphs to include Paragraph 1, the cessation of hostilities including in Lebanon.

The WSJ editorial makes things clearer when one considers what they really mean. “Trump Stages an Iran Retreat” they wrote. They start by equating the deal with Chamberlain’s “peace in our time” labeling of his deal with Hitler, which is accurate in this sense: Just as Hitler didn’t see any deal with Chamberlain as a constraint to further invasions, so the IRGC-based regime won’t see any deal as a constraint to continue expanding its regional power.

They continue: “there’s no denying that Mr. Trump is retreating from his main goals as political pressure has built at home and finishing the job requires greater military risk. Despite Israel’s urging, he never authorized a mission to seize Iran’s enriched uranium. He never tried to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force.” The second two sentences are the key. This is the alternative urged by John Bolton and his crowd, which includes Netanyahu – direct involvement of US ground and naval troops.

“Mr. Trump’s main goal, which will mean lower gasoline prices before the midterm elections.

The full memorandum of understanding text hasn’t been released, and Mr. Trump says some of it is ‘a little conceptual.’ Which is the problem.” Yes it certainly is. Remember the last time Trump used that word? It was when he talked about his health care plan and he said he had a concept of a plan. Let us continue:

“A strong nuclear deal isn’t hard to define: Zero uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing, no stockpile of enriched uranium, all relevant nuclear facilities, centrifuges and manufacturing sites dismantled, complete disclosure and unrestricted inspections. [Even that is meaningless since it will go ahead anyway. Who will stop them? Or, put another way: Who will take the steps[s necessary to stop them and do they have it in their power to do so?] Iran’s attestation that it doesn’t seek the bomb is meaningless. It has always said that—and done the opposite. A good deal has to remove capabilities.” We note that even that is meaningless since the IRGC regime completely accepts that in order to survive it must become a regional power and in order to accomplish that it must at the very least be on the way towards acquiring “the bomb” as long as Israel (the only other real military power in the region) has one. The point is that Trump is now proving that nobody can stop them.

They then make a very interesting point: “Merely disposing of the ‘highly enriched uranium’ doesn’t work when enrichment even to the low-seeming 3.67% is already 70% of the way to weapons-grade.” In other words, to prevent the IRGC from acquiring nuclear possibilities, they must be prevented from enriching uranium altogether. The problem is that the international Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) guarantees nations the right to enrich uranium for “peaceful” purposes. That level is up to 5%, so the development of nuclear power is 70% on the way towards acquiring the ability to build “the bomb”.

The WSJ editors write that Trump is “making the Barack Obama mistake of thinking the revolutionary regime wants Iran to be a normal country.” Again: “Normal” means a country in the region that accepts that the US and its military outpost, Israel, will be the only military powers in the region. Anything different is not “normal”.

They write: “The biggest risk is if Mr. Trump sees this deal as a de facto partnership with Iran’s regime. Like Mr. Obama, he might overlook violations to strike the final deal or preserve it once it is signed. The people of Iran, whom Mr. Trump promised to help, would be the big losers.” By “the people of Iran” they mean Pahlavi or somebody similar who might be able to build at least some sort of base in Iran while playing a role similar to Venezuela’s Delcy Rodriguez.

I short, Trump has conceded to the IRGC. In exchange for releasing billions of dollars of funds seized by the US, Iran has agreed to allow ships to pass through the Straits of Hormuz. In other words, Iran has come out ahead of where it started before the US and Israel declared war on that country. Iran won.

That old pro-Israel columnist Thomas Friedman also weighed in. He wrote : [The deal] “reads like a real-estate bankruptcy filing — an act of financial capitulation.… Trump sold out America’s ally in the war, Israel, and the Arab Gulf states for the swing states of Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan…. Trump did what he always does: He abandoned all principle and all allies and put his personal interests above all other considerations.”

G7 followers leaders. Once again, they all kissed up to Trump.

G7 leaders
The craven and cowardly other G7 leaders were kissing Trump’s posterior once again at the recent G7 meeting. They praised Trump’s capitulation to Iran, because it means lower oil prices. Trump also signed a statement in support of Ukraine. What that means in practice was explained by Charles A. Kupchan, who served on the National Security Council in the Obama administration. “Of course, Trump ruffled feathers by questioning the impact of the war in Ukraine on U.S. interests and indicating that he might have to start bombing Iran again,” Kupchan said.

al Sharaa on right with Saudi Arabia’s bin Salman and Trump. He hopes to remain on Trump’s good side while accomplishing the impossible – avoid getting sucked unto the whirlwind.

Syria
Another relevant player is Syria’s al Sharaa. According to the reliable Michael Karadjis’s Their antiimperialism and ours, al Sharaa said “We are pushing for a stable region and for its problems to be resolved with dialogue and diplomacy.” It is unlikely that al Sharaa is that stupid or naïve as to believe that “dialogue and diplomacy” will resolve a conflict that can only be resolved by a genuine test of brute force, especially since he – al Sharaa – came to power that way. So what he is doing is avoiding taking a stand while pretending that neutrality will be possible indefinitely. Sharaa labors under the forlorn hope that Syria will not get swept up into the whirlwind, but it already is! Hasn’t Israel already invaded Syria, and does anybody think they will stop at taking over the Golan Heights?

Saudi Arabia and Nuclear Power
If there is any doubt about why US capitalism is so locked into supporting Israel, that doubt should be dispelled by a WSJ editorial that accompanied the above one. That editorial is entitled No Nuclear Enrichment for the Saudis Either. Yes, the Saudi regime is allied with US capitalism… for now. But “Regimes can change, and so can alliances. Technology and materials can be transferred or stolen. And once a country begins to enrich uranium, it is difficult to stop it.” Shades of Biden’s 1986 speech in which he said what amounts to the same thing! No state in the region can be counted upon to remain a stable and steadfast ally of US capitalism other than Israel.

Netanyahu awarding Trump a “peace prize”. This wasn’t the sort of “peace” he was thinking of.

Netanyahu
Netanyahu is unhappy and will do everything he can to sabotage the deal. He will do so first and foremost by continuing to attack Lebanon – not “attack Hezbollah” – attack Lebanon and the Lebanese people. The further his army invades into Lebanon, the more likely it is that the fascist Israeli settlers will move in with the intent of creating a fait accompli – making parts of Lebanon a part of Israel itself in actual fact. Meanwhile, the WSJ reports that “Netanyahu is now coming under attack from across the political spectrum from those who say he led the country into a misguided war and mishandled the relationship with the U.S.” Further: “‘

While Israel would have lobbied Congress in the past to influence the White House, Israel no longer holds that kind of sway among lawmakers or the American public,’ said Oren Michael Oren,” (former Israeli ambassador to Washington)

Will Netanyahu & Co. succeed in sabotaging the deal? It won’t be up to him; it will be up to domestic political pressures, first and foremost whether this deal will help or hinder the election chances of Trump’s representatives this November. That plus what effect it will have on Trump’s plan to steal the election or cancel it entirely should that prove possible and necessary.

JD Vance defending Iran deal. Will he be thrown under the bus by Trump?

That is what was on Trump’s mind when he said “If it works out, I’m going to take the credit. If it doesn’t work out, I’m blaming JD.” Trump will claim he was just joking, but with this infantile president his “jokes” reveal what he’s really thinking. He doesn’t know for sure if the trade of Israel and the Gulf states for Pennsylvania, Georgia and Michigan will work out. If it looks like it will actually weaken his hold on those states, then the deal will be off… and the chances of JD Vance heading the 2028 GOP ticket will take a massive hit since Trump will hang the deal around his neck. It couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.

Trump surrenders to Iran at Versailles Palace – the same location where Germany surrendered to end WW I.