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The Zarif Tape Shows Why Biden Should Abandon Reviving the Iran Nuclear Deal
(Washington Post) John R. Bolton - Iranian Foreign Minister Zarif's apology on Sunday confirms the accuracy of a leaked recording of his remarks for an oral history project. Zarif's confessions show why President Biden should abandon his dream of returning to the 2015 nuclear deal. In Iran, it is not the negotiators who matter, nor what they say. It's increasingly the Revolutionary Guards (IRGC), which control the nuclear-weapons and ballistic-missile programs, command conventional military activities externally, and support terrorists worldwide. This means that Iran's diplomatic "commitments" on nuclear issues are inherently unbelievable and untrustworthy. With Tehran, we do not face a government where "trust, but verify" makes sense. We have no basis for "trust" in the first place, let alone confidence that verification measures can detect active Iranian violation and concealment. The writer served as U.S. national security adviser.