Not A Peace Deal

The big news about Iran came over the weekend when US President Donald Trump announced that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is in place. While some Trump supporters see this as winning the conflict with Iran I am of the opinion that Iran won this deal. They did so by getting the Strait of Hormuz opened. And they allowed protecting Hezbollah, their prized proxy to be part of the deal. As for the nuclear issue, Trump is allowing Iran to enrich uranium at low levels and after 15 years there will be no restrictions at all. The big picture is that Iran is weak and bargained from a position of strength which is exactly what these Ayatollahs do. Now they have 60 days to get as much as they can through the shipping lanes all the while going back to enriching uranium and building ballistic missiles. And what about those dissidents who were told to protest more because help was on the way? Did they suffer and die in vain? And what of Israel? Hezbollah can do what they want and Trump comes down hard on them when they retaliate in kind. If all I’m reading is true, Iran came out of this getting exactly what they wanted and more. On Friday in Switzerland the deal will be signed and the so-called technical details will be hashed out. While I’m looking for the upside of all this, it’s hard to see how any of this helps anyone other than Trump and those in his cabinet who are not on the side of Israel defending itself against these terrorists.

The Great White Wolf – Again

According to an article in World News Israel one of those who is pushing for this deal is none other than Vice President JD Vance. Vance as many of you know is a hot topic in Bible prophecy circles ever since many prophetic voices received words from God about him being a bad seed in the Trump administration. Whether you believe that or not is up for debate, but in this report Vance is seen as no friend of Israel:

Vice President JD Vance has played a central role in shaping President Donald Trump’s increasingly critical view of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, according to an Israel Hayom report on tensions inside the White House over the emerging US-Iran agreement. Israel Hayom reported Sunday that Trump has adopted a narrative promoted by Vance and other senior envoys involved in the Iran talks, according to which Netanyahu has been trying to derail the agreement through Israeli military action in Lebanon and Iran.

There are others in the Trump administration that favor capitulating to Iran:

The report said Vance, US envoy Steve Witkoff, and Jared Kushner have supported reaching a memorandum of understanding with Iran, arguing in part that the Iranian regime is unlikely to fall soon and that Gulf states, especially Qatar, have pushed for a deal.

But others don’t see things that way and they are strangely silent now:

By contrast, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and other officials have reportedly argued that Iran is weakening under economic pressure and that Washington should intensify pressure rather than ease sanctions.

One source says that isn’t a coincidence:

“The debate has been settled. Those who oppose it may pay a personal price,” a senior US official told Israel Hayom, according to the report.

Being Two-Faced

Vance is reported as being publicly supportive of Israel, but behind the scenes he isn’t that way:

The report said Vance has continued to say publicly in White House briefings that Israel’s right to defend itself will be preserved, but has privately urged Trump to restrain Netanyahu after Israeli strikes that Washington feared could disrupt the Iran talks.

This could all just be political theater, but Iran knows this and loves to hear these internal disputes especially if it hurts Israel and Netanyahu. The article elaborates on this:

According to Israel Hayom, Vance has argued that Netanyahu is deliberately trying to sabotage the emerging deal. The report said Trump has accepted that view, contributing to harsher public and private criticism of the Israeli prime minister. Trump’s anger burst into public view after an Israeli strike in Beirut that came shortly before the US and Iran were expected to sign an agreement. In an interview with Axios, Trump said the strike had delayed the signing and sharply criticized Netanyahu.

The US President was his usual blunt self when talking about Israel hitting back at Hezbollah:

“It is so bad — I couldn’t believe it,” Trump said.

Trump acknowledged that Hezbollah had attacked Israel first, but said there had been no major damage and accused Netanyahu of poor judgment in ordering the strike.

“Why did Bibi have to do a f***ing attack?” Trump said, according to Axios. “I was so p****d off.”

The confrontation came as Trump moved toward an agreement with Iran that would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, ease some economic pressure on Tehran and launch a 60-day period for further negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program.

Not Everyone Backs The Deal

It is evident that there isn’t a consensus on the Iranian MoU. Words of caution are coming from an unusual cabinet member:

Critics within the administration fear the deal will give Iran sanctions relief too early. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reportedly warned that lifting sanctions would be dangerous because reimposing them would be difficult, but the report said his concerns only slightly changed the terms.

Rubio and Hegseth appear to in the minority, but some believe that Trump is clamping down on any dissent even to the point of dismissing them:

Sunday’s report also said Trump may fire officials who oppose the memorandum or the negotiations with Iran, as the administration seeks to prevent internal dissent from undermining the diplomatic effort.

As for Israelis, they are fiercely opposed to the MoU as we read in the report:

Former senior Mossad official Oded Ailam sharply criticized the US approach, telling Israel Hayom that “Trump is acting badly and against the American interest, not only the Israeli one.”

“This is an American game being managed with utter foolishness,” Ailam said.

And this capitulation to the Iranians could build a riff between Prime Minister Netanyahu and Trump:

The dispute reflects a broader shift in the Trump-Netanyahu relationship as Washington tries to close a deal with Tehran and Israel weighs the risks of sanctions relief, limits on military action and Iran’s regional influence. Netanyahu has not publicly attacked Trump over the reported terms of the agreement. Israeli critics of the deal, however, have warned that easing pressure on Tehran could allow Iran to rebuild military capabilities and increase support for proxy groups, including Hezbollah.

Want God Wants

I have to say that I was hoping that Trump would either end the regime or help Israel do it. The Iranian people would be far better off without the current oppressive Mullahs in charge. And I would love to see religious freedom seen in the country which will never happen with these unholy zealots ruling with an iron fist. When they can get away with killing their own people for criticizing them, they will. When they can get back to a nuclear missile program, they will. Just because oil prices will stay higher if the pressure remains on them isn't a good enough reason for me to like this bailout and reward for giving in to these heartless butchers. They were down for the count and you let them rope-a-dope you into letting them win. But for all my disappointment this MoU did a very good thing. You see Israel should be thanking Trump for waking them up to the reality that the US won’t take out their enemies. Trump is on record as warning Netanyahu he won’t have American help if he decides to hit Iran or its proxies after an agreement is reached. I like how commentary from a Telegram channel, Jerusalem Watchmen frames this for us:

Thank You, President Trump. You Just Helped Israel Wake Up. I know this will surprise some people. Many are angry. Many are disappointed. Many feel betrayed by reports of a Trump-Iran deal. Me? I want to say thank you. Thank you, President Trump. Not because I think this deal is good. I don't. Not because I trust the Islamic republic of Iran. I don't. And not because I believe this war is over. It isn't over at all. I am thankful because this moment is forcing Israelis and Jews around the world to confront a truth that we have avoided for far too long: our future cannot depend on any foreign leader, no matter how friendly, powerful, or supportive he may be.

They author notes that in the modern Israel era their greatest victories came when no one else stood with them to fight. Other countries supplied weapons, but the battles were won by Israel alone and the miraculous intervention of God. The post also notes that the deal is only digital now and Iran could easily back out of it as they’ve done in the past. Netanyahu is clearly not going to let this MoU keep him from defending Israel:

Prime Minister Netanyahu has publicly stated that Israel is not bound by any American memorandum regarding Iran. Israel is still operating in Lebanon. Israel still has freedom of action. Israel still has the final say regarding Israel's security. And for that Netanyahu must be commended for his leadership in navigating the alliance with President Trump. So let's stop acting as if Friday determines our future… Just as Israel launched this campaign without America, we may ultimately have to finish it without America as well. That should not frighten us. The lesson of this war has always been that Israel must be capable of defending itself, by itself, against any threat.

It concludes with what I believe is the right sentiment:

The war is not over. The struggle against the Islamic Republic is not over. The battle between civilization and the forces of jihadi Islam is certainly not over… America is heading toward midterm elections. American politicians will do what they believe serves American interests.

Israel must do what serves Israel's interests.

In Bible prophecy I see the conditions for the Psalm 83 war to be fulfilled. In that war Israel defeats the terrorists surrounding them after being hit from all sides. In that war the Israel Defense Force (IDF) finishes what they started. And Trump may have just provided the impetus for God’s chosen people to rise up for such a time as this.