How much will Trump let Iran exploit American weakness?
The memorandum of understanding that the Trump administration has signed with the remaining leadership of the Islamic Republic of Iran has nothing to do with nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles, or state-sponsored terrorism. It has everything to do with the fact that the United States failed in its military objective to control the Strait of Hormuz, giving Iran a chokehold on the global economy.
TL;DR
- The U.S. failed in its military objective to control the Strait of Hormuz.
- Iran has a chokehold on the global economy.
- Iran can inflict more pain on the U.S. than the U.S. is willing to inflict on Iran.
- The terms of the deal are lopsided in favor of Iran because Trump is dealing from a position of weakness.
- The Trump administration could not settle on a single rationale for the Iran war.
- Initial objectives included defending against imminent threats, destroying ballistic missiles, annihilating Iran's navy, severing support for terrorist proxies, and preventing nuclear weapon acquisition.