Washington held an unprecedented upper hand over Iran – then cashed it in

Peloni:  In recognition of the advantages which were abandoned by Trump’s preference for Peace thru Negotiation, the simple reality is that this gambit can only end in Trump entirely surrendering to Iran, or the resumption of the war which was the only basis of advantage which Trump ever had with the Iranians.

The new US-Iran memorandum offers Tehran sweeping concessions, but raises questions about whether Washington is relinquishing its leverage before securing meaningful restrictions

Janatan Sayeh

Excerpt

Pres. Donald Trump. Photo by The White House from Washington, DC - President Trump Travels to NC, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=95118597Pres. Donald Trump. Photo by The White House from Washington, DC – President Trump Travels to NC, Public Domain, Wikipedia

The odds had never been worse for the Islamic Republic than in early June 2026. Its missile infrastructure had been devastated, senior military leaders killed, nuclear facilities bombed, the repression apparatus weakened, oil exports reduced to zero, and inflation driven to its highest level since World War II. Through military action, the maximum pressure campaign, and a naval blockade, US President Donald Trump had assembled the strongest leverage ever brought to bear against Tehran.

Yet, whether the newly announced Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) converts that upper hand into concessions, or cashes it in prematurely, is another matter. The agreement, if fully implemented, lifts the naval blockade, halts new sanctions, and grants Tehran waivers for oil exports and access to frozen assets.

https://www.jpost.com/jerusalem-report/article-900356

Janatan Sayeh is a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies focused on Iranian domestic affairs and the Islamic Republic’s regional malign influence.

June 27, 2026 | 4 Comments »

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    • @Shmujew

      ayatollah Israel global chaos hidden mehdi one bomb state

      Iran’s geopolitical strategy is deeply rooted in Twelver Shia messianism, a theological framework centered on the return of the Hidden Imam (the Mahdi). Hardline elements within the clerical regime view escalating global chaos and the eradication of Israel not just as geopolitical goals, but as divine prerequisites to hasten the Mahdi’s appearance…

      ” mutants worshipping the bomb planet of the apes +7 In the 1970 sci-fi sequel Beneath the Planet of the Apes, the mutant humans represent a caste of telepathic survivors who worship an ancient doomsday weapon known as the Alpha-Omega Bomb as a deity.The mutants were descended from survivors of a 20th-century nuclear holocaust who took shelter in the ruins of New York City. Over centuries of exposure to radiation, they evolved advanced telepathic abilities, the power to cast illusions, and—in many cases—physically mutated appearances.The Fellowship of the Holy FalloutThe Deity: The object of their worship is a massive, unexploded cobalt nuclear missile. They revere it as their creator and savior, and the launcher sits atop an altar in what used to be the ruins of St. Patrick’s Cathedral.The Rituals: To blend in with the outside world, the mutants wear highly realistic latex masks. However, during their underground religious services, they remove these to “reveal their inmost selves unto their God”.Their Faith: Their dogma is built on the veneration of destruction, summarized in their chilling chant: “Glory be to the Bomb, and to the Holy Fallout. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be. World without end. Amen.”Their Leader: The leader of the mutant caste is Mendez XXVI. He and his followers keep the bomb primed as the ultimate deterrent against their enemies—the militant apes who march on their underground city.The Final ShowdownWhen a gorilla army led by General Ursus invades the mutants’ territory in the Forbidden Zone, the telepaths attempt to repel them using mass hallucinations. When those illusions fail, a dying astronaut named Taylor helps Mendez XXVI detonate the bomb, fulfilling the cult’s apocalyptic prophecy and destroying the entire planet.”

      https://youtu.be/vDQEJ06QoRs?is=nve7yQdB2N2EisLZ

      —-
      “ hamas apes and pigs” +1 The “phrase “apes and pigs” refers to a deeply antisemitic trope and hate speech that has been heavily promoted by Hamas officials and state media. The group frequently uses this dehumanizing language against Jewish people and Israelis.”

      • roseanne barr valerie jarrett iran communist background +10 In May 2018, comedian Roseanne Barr posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett, comparing her to the offspring of the “Muslim Brotherhood & Planet of the Apes”. This prompted ABC to immediately cancel her hit sitcom reboot.The connection to Iran and accusations of a communist background stem from details surrounding Jarrett’s early life and the subsequent controversies that followed:Jarrett’s Iranian Background: Valerie Jarrett was born in Shiraz, Iran, in 1956. Her parents were American; her father was a pathologist who directed a children’s hospital in the country. The family later returned to the United States when she was seven years old.The “Communist Background” Accusations: Following the tweet, some of Roseanne Barr’s defenders and alt-right online commentators circulated claims that Jarrett and her family had ties to communist figures. These theories specifically alleged that her mother had communist ties and that the family was associated with Frank Marshall Davis, an activist who mentored a young Barack Obama.Barr’s Defense: In attempting to explain her remarks, Barr later claimed her tweet was political commentary about the Obama administration’s Iran Nuclear Deal. She stated she was unaware that Jarrett was Black, and assumed she was Middle Eastern because of her Iranian birth.

        I got it at the time. She did nothing wrong but she wasn’t allowed to apologize unlike Jesse Jackson Sr., Mel Gibson, Al Sharpton, who never really apologized, and Obama, among so maaany* others, who did and who were. To what category did they belong that excluded her, I wonder. Scratching my head, here. What could it possibly be? That they were all men? Yes, that must be it. Or not.

        * What an intractable mystery! Could this be a case for the sheep detectives?

        https://youtu.be/pyZI5oM6hWk?is=AOs8aS-OteDDfNxg

  2. As the article describes, the Iranian regime was ready to fall, but for some undisclosed reason, Trump stopped the war. We can think of some motivating circumstances but none of them dispose of the regime. We can’t blame Israel for this one, much as we might try. This one is on Trump.
    The only way forward is for the Iranians to continue their impudence and provoke further US attacks by the USA. Israel might join in if asked politely, but the real partners should actually be the gulf states. There are plenty of other factors involved, but if the regime remains, nothing will be gained.