As a strong supporter of our great military’s Operation Epic Fury, and someone who has great confidence in President Trump and his judgment, I feel compelled to address the fact that any deal put together too quickly risks making the next Iranian conflict more, not less, likely. I’m afraid a bad deal today could mean a bigger war tomorrow. When I sat down with Mr. Trump for our interview eight weeks ago, I expressed the concern that no one could ever believe anything Iran says.
As a former Reagan man, I am always very sensitive to Gipper’s statement: “trust but verify.” Over the past fifty years, numerous American presidents have made deals with Iran that have never been verified. International nuclear authorities have never been able to verify Iranian promises or activities. And, as Mr. Trump has said, the whole issue came under fire because of Iran’s shocking, looming nuclear threat with enriched uranium, which is bigger than anyone thought. And with intercontinental ballistic missile capabilities with a range greater than anyone thought. And once again Iran is bottling up the Strait of Hormuz in an attempt at global economic blackmail.
There is so much we don’t know yet about discussions that are mostly indirect. And even now it appears that Iran has cut off all communication with America. But just looking at the positions of both sides, Iran wants an end to conflict in the region, a protocol for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, reparations and reconstruction, and the lifting of sanctions. That is their position.
Former Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich discusses the urgency of addressing Iran’s nuclear ambitions on ‘Kudlow’.
Mr. Trump’s main points were a complete end to all nuclear capabilities and facilities. No uranium enrichment on Iranian soil. Transferring Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium to the International Atomic Energy Agency, completely decommissioning and dismantling their nuclear sites at the Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz sites. Plus a complete end to their state sponsorship of terrorism. And an end to support for proxy terrorist groups. A dismantling of their ballistic missile programs. And reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In other words, the two parties remain, as far as we know, monumentally far apart.
So a deal seems impossible. A few quotes from Mr Trump suggest there is no deal. When the reporter asked, “If Iran does not meet your demands, Mr. President, are you willing to continue the war?” Mr. Trump responded: “We’ll have to see.” The reporter continued, “Do you commit…” Mr. Trump then responded, “The answer is yes, but you have to pay attention.” He added that “the entire country could be knocked out in one night, and that night could be tomorrow night.” He said, “We have, we have a plan, because of the strength of our military, where every bridge in Iran will be decimated by noon tomorrow night, where every power plant in Iran will be bankrupt, burn, explode and never be used again. I mean, complete demolition by noon.”
Former US Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook and Ronald Reagan Institute Director Roger Zakheim discuss President Donald Trump’s strategy against the Iranian regime on ‘Kudlow’.
In the meantime, any talk of a ceasefire or extension of the deal should be rejected. This is Iran’s game. They’ve been playing it for decades. They love to string things together. They are experts at playing their opponents. They like to stand still. Postpone. To argue about location. Or who is invited to the high table. They’ve been doing this for so long and I hope Mr. Trump doesn’t let them get away with it. I doubt he will, because he is a man of action and instinct. He knows that if he lets Iran play these games with him, he will lose international respect. He knows that if he ever walked away without reopening Hormuz, he would look weak. And he is never weak. Ever. He is clearly a man of his word.
In all likelihood, a few ticks of the clock after 8:00 PM Eastern Time will be offset by America’s and presumably Israel’s final war attack. Mr. Trump knows he can change history right now. He can end all of Iran’s capabilities: nuclear, terrorist, missiles, Hormuz, everything. He can bring freedom and prosperity to the Middle East and the rest of the world. He can put an end to a plague on civilization. He could also become one of the greatest presidents in American history.
