Peloni: The deal to negotiate a deal has no chance of brokering any deal. What it does make absolutely certain, however, is that the Mullahs and the IRGC will be significantly more wealthy when the deal falls apart, and more capable of responding militarily to the US when this eventually does occur. The only advantage gained in lieu of this geopolitical debacle is time, political convenience, and hopefully only a delay before the final battle ends the charade of America returning to resurrect its policy of weakness at the feet of the Ayatollahs.
by Amir Taheri• Gatestone Institute • June 28, 2026
The solution to the “Iran problem” isn’t money; it is good governance. And that requires a change of regime beyond what Trump pretends has already happened. Pictured:Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Screengrab via Youtube
- The solution to the “Iran problem” isn’t money; it is good governance. And that requires a change of regime beyond what Trump pretends has already happened.
Whether or not the 60-day diplomatic ping pong between the Trump administration and remnants of the Islamic Republic produces anything resembling peace, one thing is clear: There will be no shower of gold over Iran as the faction taking part in the talks pretend.
The faction that unites the remnants of the Rafsanjani cartel with some erstwhile foes among the military-security mafia is beating the drums about Iran gaining access to frozen assets, estimated at over $100 billion in 22 countries, shoveling money by imposing tariffs on ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz and starting to export crude on a no-tomorrow basis.
But the pièce de résistance in this imaginary banquet is the $300 billion carrot waved by President Donald Trump as an alternative to the stick of bombing Iran back to the Stone Age.
Put those mouth-watering figures together and you are talking of a $1 trillion bonanza.
Let’s hope that the Obama flight never takes off. Pallets of cash might work for the Iranians. This is one of those tricks when trying to encourage people to sell their property: offer them a visible pile of cash. Sometimes, that works better than a certified check.
Whatever the case, they are rich enough and if they get their game together, they may actually benefit from reasonable government. They should give it a try!