Was it all worth it?

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/06/15/was-it-all-worth-it/

Pakistan has published what it claims are the details of the memorandum of understanding between the United States and the regime in Iran. If those details are accurate, Trump's Iran deal is a betrayal of every American, every Iranian, every Israeli, and every victim of the regime's terror and repression.

To say emotions are running high in Israel would be an understatement. It is difficult to describe exactly what many Israelis are feeling right now, but anger and betrayal come close.

While we still do not know the full details of the agreement, Israelis are confronting a painful possibility: after years of war and sacrifice, we may be returning to the very reality we were told we were changing.

We accepted extraordinary sacrifice because we believed we were changing the strategic reality of the Middle East. If we are simply returning to the same reality we were promised would be transformed, then the consequences will extend far beyond this deal. They will shape how Israelis view their leaders, their allies, and the promises made to them in times of war.

Trump Stages an Iran Retreat

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/iran-deal-donald-trump-cease-fire-nuclear-weapons-e2ce72ef?mod=hp_opin_pos_1Most of the press has been hostile from the start, but we’ve supported the President’s Iran policy. We’ve done so because a nuclear Iran would be an existential threat, and because we want Presidents to succeed when they go to war.

The regime gets financial relief to reopen Hormuz and hold more nuclear talks.

President Trump is touting his latest cease-fire deal with Iran as peace in our time, but the world is more likely to see it as a strategic retreat short of achieving his war aims. To reopen the Strait of Hormuz, Mr. Trump is accepting Iran’s promises merely to negotiate over its nuclear program.

Most of the press has been hostile from the start, but we’ve supported the President’s Iran policy. We’ve done so because a nuclear Iran would be an existential threat, and because we want Presidents to succeed when they go to war.

Trump’s Iran Deal: Billions Up Front for Leading State Sponsor of Terrorism

 https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/trumps-iran-deal-billions-up-front-for-leading-state-sponsor-of-terrorism/

Not surprisingly, the Trump administration is still not publicizing its memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the jihadist Iranian regime.

It is laughable, of course, to speak of an agreement (or “understanding”) with Iran, which has a long, undeniable history of breaking agreements, in particular about its nuclear weapons ambitions. And while President Trump either doesn’t grasp or can’t be bothered to address the regime’s ideology, a core principle of sharia supremacism, including Iran’s Shiite version, is that lying to the enemy is a key part of warfare (“War is deception,” said Islam’s prophet in an oft-quoted hadith). This, for example, is why — even as the overwhelming evidence shows it was advancing its nuclear weapons program — the regime insisted that its leader, the now-departed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had issued a fatwa (a sharia law edict) against nuclear weapons. This would have been hilarious had not the Obama administration adopted it as part of its rationalization for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Since the administration is trying to dizzy us with spin about the MOU rather than just showing us the MOU, it’s important to understand: There is not an agreement. The MOU is an agreement to talk about an eventual agreement (and talk, and talk, and talk, as the Iranians have mastered doing) rather than to make binding commitments on matters of vital American interest.

‘Trump has surrendered to Iran’: Some prominent GOP hawks fear Trump just caved

 https://edition.cnn.com/2026/06/15/politics/trump-republicans-iran

The editors of the conservative National Review were also curious why the details hadn’t been forthcoming.

They called it “discouraging” that Trump had indicated Iran would still be allowed to enrich uranium for non-military uses. And they criticized early indicators that the agreement would not rein in Iran’s ballistic missile program.

“All told, there is the possibility that Trump would return the U.S. to Obama’s failed Iran deal that Trump rightfully tore up in his first term,” the editors wrote, “which would have all the makings of a humiliation after all of the president’s tough talk.”

Israel cannot applaud an Iran deal that leaves key threats intact - editorial

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-899520

For Israel, the success of any US-Iran deal will be measured not by headlines or market reactions, but by whether Tehran’s ability to threaten its neighbors is reduced.

The reported US-Iran deal may be good for oil markets, for a White House that wants the war over, and for a president eager to say he forced Tehran to the table and reopened the Strait of Hormuz.

For Israel, that is not the test.

The test is whether Iran is weaker today than it was before the deal. Has its nuclear program been dismantled? Has its enriched uranium been removed? Have its missiles and drones been addressed? Has Hezbollah been pushed back? Has Israel’s freedom to act been preserved?

So far, the answers are unclear. That should worry us.

The warning is coming from President Donald Trump’s own side: Iran hawks, pro-Israel conservatives, and lawmakers who backed pressure on Tehran, supported the airstrikes, and believed this campaign could finally change the balance against the Islamic Republic.

Is Trump Pitching the Art of a Bad Deal

 https://collive.com/is-trump-pitching-the-art-of-a-bad-deal/

Israel has greeted the news with deep skepticism and more than a touch of fear. The reported memorandum makes zero mention of ballistic missile restrictions. What began largely as a defensive shield for Iran’s nuclear ambitions has mutated into a formidable threat in its own right. Even without the ultimate deterrent of a nuclear warhead, an Iranian ballistic arsenal numbering in the tens of thousands is more than sufficient to paralyze any military action against the Islamic Republic. According to Channel 12, this critical issue—whether through an immediate American concession or a simple lack of interest—never even made it to the negotiating table.

This is precisely where the $25 billion in unfrozen assets reported by The New York Times becomes the deal’s most critical variable. It acts as a vital liquidity bridge, allowing the Islamic Republic to safely span the economic chasm it is currently teetering over. That massive cash injection provides exactly what Tehran needs: a way to keep its domestic security apparatus paid and loyal while illicit oil flows to China stabilize. In a very literal sense, that $25 billion could spell the difference between collapse and survival.

The most concerning element, however, pertains to the war in Lebanon. Leaks regarding the current agreement point to a halt in fighting across all fronts, including with Hezbollah. Since April 8, Israel’s primary goal has been to decouple Lebanon from the broader Iranian conflict. They temporarily achieved a separation in the immediate aftermath of the ceasefire, until Iranian pressure successfully convinced the United States that larger geopolitical considerations were at stake.

ZOA: Trump’s Iran deal gives Tehran time to rearm

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/428678

The Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) on Monday expressed concern over the emerging deal between the US and Iran.

In a statement, ZOA National President Morton A. Klein said the organization remains "extremely grateful to President Trump for all he did, far more than any other US president, to degrade Iran’s nuclear facilities and military capabilities in Operations Midnight Hammer and Epic Fury."

However, Klein warned that the reported agreement "appears to be an 'agreement to negotiate,'" which he said would allow the Iranian regime to obtain "massive oil revenue and time to build up its military and terror arsenals," while leaving its nuclear and missile stockpiles intact.

Referring to President Trump's statement on Truth Social that he was "authoriz[ing] the immediate removal of the United States Naval blockade," Klein argued that it "makes no sense" to remove economic pressure on Iran without first securing "immediate removal of Iran’s nuclear stockpile, decommissioning of Iran’s nuclear facilities, and destruction of Iran’s deadly missile stockpile."

"President Trump’s demands on Israel to stand down in Lebanon and in Iran, to facilitate this troubling deal... plays right into the Iranian regime’s hands, undermines necessary deterrence and endangers Israel’s safety," Klein stated

Political commentator: 'Trump dumped Israel'

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/428661

Political commentator Zvi Yehezkeli published a stark warning on the US-Iran agreement, criticizing US President Donald Trump, and claiming that he is rushing an agreement that could harm Israel’s security interests.

According to Yehezkeli, the situation represents a significant strategic danger that he believes is even more serious than the circumstances that existed on the eve of the last war. He stressed that any agreement in the Middle East must be evaluated not only from a Western perspective, but also according to how it is perceived by the other side.

Yehezkeli sharply criticized US President Donald Trump, claiming that the US administration is rushing to reach an agreement.

Yehezkeli added that even if some of the reports do not accurately reflect the final wording of the agreement, the overall direction resembles the nuclear deal signed in 2015.

IDF, Mossad largely oppose Iran nuclear deal, favor continued sanctions against Tehran

 https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-899503

The vast majority of the IDF and the Mossad oppose the current Iran nuclear deal as insufficient in light of the power dynamics between the parties, the "blood and treasure" invested, and the threats confronting Israel, the Jerusalem Post has learned.

While that view is not unanimous and top Israeli officials understand the need to defer to Israel's political echelon and to the Trump administration on certain matters, it is nearly unanimous, and officials are making their views heard in private forums.

While the Trump administration has been almost entirely focused on opening the Strait of Hormuz and the nuclear issue, the Post understands that IDF and Mossad officials had hoped for progress on the ballistic missiles and proxy threats, which they are stuck dealing with on a day-to-day and year-to-year basis.

Trump Gives Iran a Lifeline and Calls It Peace

 https://www.thefp.com/p/trump-gives-iran-a-lifeline-and-calls

President Donald Trump gave himself a birthday present on Sunday and declared that peace has been achieved after his second Iran war. “This Great Deal will bring Peace and Security to the whole Region. Many presidents have tried to make Peace with Iran, and all have failed before me,” he posted on Truth Social Sunday evening. “With the opening of the Strait upon the signing of the Deal on Friday, for purposes of mine removal, oil will flow on both ends again for the Region, and the World!”

Don’t break out the ticker tape just yet. This is not a treaty, not a deal, and not a peace agreement. It’s a memorandum of understanding to negotiate the terms of a broader peace over the next 60 days. Put another way, it is yet another ceasefire. In this respect, the agreement does not achieve any of the aims that Trump laid out on February 28 when he launched the second Iran war with Israel.

The only tangible benefit of this memorandum of understanding for the U.S. and the global economy is that Iran will agree to open the Strait of Hormuz for 60 days. Trump believed he had achieved that more than two months ago in April. That turned out to be a ceasefire in name only. In other words, Trump is celebrating an agreement that temporarily solves a problem his war helped create.

Because Iran has not agreed to anything with regard to its nuclear material, ballistic missiles, or support for terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East. As for Trump’s statements early on in the war encouraging the Iranian people to seize their institutions and rise up against their oppressors, that objective has been placed inside a memory hole.

The details of sanctions relief, cash payments, and the unfreezing of assets are still unknown. But a senior U.S. official on Friday told reporters that Iran will see no sanctions relief or unfrozen assets, or receive any cash until it delivers on its other obligations. It’s possible that the U.S. won’t pay Iran’s regime, but America’s allies will. Over the weekend, the United Arab Emirates denied an earlier report that it had already unfrozen some $20 billion in Iranian assets. One U.S. military official working closely on the negotiations, however, said that Iran would see some economic gains before the substantive negotiations began, but the details were still being haggled over. Iran’s state-directed Mehrs News Agency reported Sunday that the U.S. has agreed to unfreeze $12 billion in Iranian assets this week before negotiations begin, with another $12 million to be released during the 60 days of talks.

Trump says Obama’s Iran nuclear deal was ‘horrible’ but his is unlikely to be any better

 https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-says-obama-iran-nuclear-195543664.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIc5ZlvuuBUu8EGTNbxjq0VLJsscajgVsZRPG9aDVqiF3piYugBfWuxArEP2TnYmXK3CcN6RjR3r_0NgdrPfbfUuD33vPwlI8e9d6Ia3B4Ci90cubMqnv6_x-GYlHOlXrPClCnheNHQTZP25vPCxiixs7rqA6eFSNZPhyU8zU81l

During an interview with NBC News last week, he trashed his predecessor for offering "weak and ineffective leadership on behalf of the United States" and argued that Obama and others "allowed [Iran] to get away with murder."

"That deal was tantamount to giving them a nuclear weapon. It was a horrible deal given by Barack Obama, and really penned by him," Trump said "It was a horrible deal."

His comments were just the latest in a series of examples of Trump trashing one of Obama's signature foreign policy accomplishments and boasting that he could do better.

And despite what Trump says, there was no "cash" involved — he's confusing the sanctions relief with a separate payment the U.S. made to settle a decades-old dispute over weapons purchased by the pre-1979 government that were never delivered to Iran.

Trump says he can get a better deal, but it's hard to see how what the plans leaked out by U.S. and Iranian sources are better than the JCPOA.

For one, the deal Trump keeps touting isn't a real deal — it's a 60-day extension of the ceasefire and a promise for more talks.

Obama's Iran deal was disastrous, Trump's is opposite

 https://www.foxnews.com/video/6398446209112

Alex Gray criticizes former President Barack Obama's Iran nuclear deal, labeling it as the worst U.S. diplomatic effort. Gray asserts the Obama administration bribed Iran with cash, putting them on a path to nuclear weapons.

Former NSC chief of staff under Trump, Alex Gray, sharply criticizes former President Barack Obama's Iran nuclear deal. Gray argues Obama's administration 'piled cash' to Iran as a 'bribe,' facilitating their nuclear ambitions and posing a global threat. He credits Donald Trump with halting this dangerous trajectory, calling Obama's recent claims about a new deal 'preposterous.'

Donald Trump’s Pallets of Cash

 https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/trump-pallets-cash-iran

Less than three months ago Donald Trump was mocking the 2015 deal Barack Obama made with Iran that cleared the regime’s path to a nuclear bomb. “They sent Boeing 757s over there, loaded with cash, hundreds of millions of dollars,” said Trump, referring to the cash ransom Obama aides delivered directly to the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, or IRGC, to bribe the Iranians to agree to the phony deal. “That’s not going to happen with Trump.”

And yet it seems that’s exactly what’s happening with Trump. According to reports Friday, the United Arab Emirates, a key U.S. regional ally, is making $20 billion of frozen Iranian assets available to the Islamic Republic, with $3 billion of it having already been delivered to Tehran, perhaps by a Boeing 757, and maybe even on wooden pallets like those Obama stacked with cash to pay the terror state. Emirati officials deny that they’re buying off Iran on behalf of the U.S., but if Abu Dhabi thought Trump was going to put the clerical regime down for the count, they wouldn’t be giving money to a neighbor that since March has set fire to high-end real estate properties with hundreds of missile and drone attacks. Instead, the Emiratis are paying tribute to the side that looks like a winner.

Trump’s Been Out-Bluffed By Iran With A ‘Weaker’ Copy Of Obama’s Nuclear Deal | Michael Rubin