Terms of Agreement

Those who know what’s happening aren’t talking, and news outlets like Axios and Reuters, who can’t possibly have inside information, are.

American Thinker 

I’ve been watching reports all Friday and Saturday, tracking reports of events in Iran. It seems to me that those who know what’s happening aren’t talking, and news outlets like Axios and Reuters, who can’t possibly have inside information, are. I disregard as unlikely the accounts of terms of any agreement which do not come from official sources.

Yes, there are some credible signs that we are reaching a critical juncture in the negotiations: The President abandoned his plans to attend his son’s wedding in Florida to return to the White House. The Vice President made an unscheduled return from Ohio to D.C., where all of the top cabinet officers are said to be assembled. Pizza sales at shops near the Pentagon are soaring, usually a sign of a planned military operation. If it weren’t so important to know what’s going on, I’d be laughing at the predictable online rumors and responses to the made-up news accounts of terms of agreement:

• Once again, it is rumored online that Mojtabhi Khamenei has been killed.
• Some report that Israeli planes have already taken off to strike Iran.
• The pessimists argue that nothing short of war will work because Iran can’t be trusted
• The Left and the hawks both argue that Trump sold us out.
• The pro-Palestinians yammer that Bibi is angry, and, alternatively, that Trump is his puppet.
• Anti-Administration posters repeat that Witkoff sold us out.
• Non-interventionists argue that we should leave it to the Iranians to oust the regime.
• Moronic lefties claim Trump is going to get a deal no better than the one their sainted Obama got. (Seriously, that’s their claim.)
• Yadayadayada.

Unlike these commentators, I have no idea what is going on. I do know our military forces and economic situation are far greater than the enemy’s. I do know that the Iranian people are suffering greatly (even though the internet blackout makes it difficult to get current on-the-ground information). I do know that the President prefers economic warfare to the real thing, and so far, that often seems to work. I anticipate that if we up our military response to bomb bridges and power plants, and utterly devastate an already severely wounded Iran, it will need decades for Iran to recover, and even more civilians will suffer and be killed. I also know that a nuclear-armed Iran controlling a major waterway is not a tolerable risk for us or the world. Finally, I believe that the President is worthy of our trust to balance all these considerations. I think it makes sense to wait and see what happens and disregard make-believe insider accounts. Amjad Taha, an Emirati poster whom I consider credible, does not detail the agreed terms but says Iran has yielded.

The Islamic regime in Iran has surrendered and accepted the terms. If it breaks them, it will be broken. Increasingly isolated in the region, Trump called Gulf leaders before making his final decision, a sign that the region is now closer to America than before and will play a role in shaping the next steps. What comes next may be even more dangerous for the regime itself: unrest at home, anger in the streets, and calls for change that could erupt as the war comes to an end.

The region, America, and allies such as NATO and the EU may use this pause to prepare for the next phase, now convinced that this regime’s missiles and drones threaten not only Gulf nations, but also the global economy through the Strait of Hormuz.

In this battle, the regime has suffered heavy losses, its navy, aircraft, leadership, soldiers, economy, and strategic capabilities. If there is a next round, it may not survive it.

The President says there is a deal.

BREAKING: President Trump announces IRAN DEAL TO BE ANNOUNCED SHORTLY

Strait of Hormuz will OPEN.

HUGE!

"Final aspects and details of the Deal are currently being discussed, and will be announced shortly. In addition to many other elements of the Agreement, the Strait of Hormuz will be opened."

"An Agreement has been largely negotiated, subject to finalization between the United States of America, the Islamic Republic of Iran, and the various other Countries, as listed."

"Separately, I had a call with Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu, of Israel, which, likewise, went very well."

Trump lists who participated today:

"I am in the Oval Office at the White House where we just had a very good call with President Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, of The United Arab Emirates, Emir Tamim bin Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, and Minister Ali al-Thawadi, of Qatar, Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir Ahmed Shah, of Pakistan, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, of Türkiye, President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, of Egypt, King Abdullah II, of Jordan, and King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, of Bahrain, concerning the Islamic Republic of Iran, and all things related to a Memorandum of Understanding pertaining to PEACE"

In the meantime, Cuba is surrounded by U.S. forces and still is suffering an energy blackout -- that means hospitals are operating by flashlight, food and water supplies are seriously hampered, and transportation is basically halted.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day, a day to honor all those military personnel who died while serving. It began at the close of the Civil War, in which about 2% of the population died fighting. I’m old enough to remember when my second-grade teacher told us about it with tear-filled eyes while remembering her brother, a pilot who died in World War II. She was talking to a class of kids who also had fathers, brothers, and uncles who had perished in that war. As we get farther in time from that horrible war, fewer students share such memories. People my age do. Blessed be the peacemakers.