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Source: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/22563/iran-deal-mistake
Why Any Deal with Iran Is a Mistake
(Gatestone Institute) Khaled Abu Toameh - There can be no "good" deal with a jihadist regime that openly sponsors terrorism across the Middle East, brutalizes its own people, calls for the destruction of Israel, and continues to chant "Death to America." An agreement will not moderate them. It will embolden them. The Iranian regime and its terror proxies will interpret any deal as a victory over the U.S. and the West. They will see it as proof that terrorism, missile attacks, hostage-taking, nuclear blackmail, and claiming control of the Strait of Hormuz forced Western powers into concessions. This is exactly what happened when the Obama administration signed the 2015 "nuclear deal," that provided Tehran with sanctions relief and access to billions of dollars while merely delaying its nuclear and ballistic missile programs. The Iranian regime never changed its behavior. Instead, it expanded its ballistic missile program, increased support for terrorist organizations, intensified regional aggression, and steadily advanced its nuclear capabilities. Why should anyone believe that this time will be different? The Iranian regime does not view negotiations the way Western democracies do. Tehran sees diplomacy as a tactical weapon: a means to buy time, get intrusive foreign governments off their back, weaken international opposition, divide Western allies, and secure economic relief - all while continuing its long-term strategic objectives as fast as the circumstances after President Trump's term in office will allow. For the Islamist rulers in Tehran, hostility toward the U.S. and Israel is not rhetoric. It is a core pillar of the regime's ideology and identity - its entire reason for being. Any agreement that eases sanctions will only strengthen the IRGC, finance terrorism, and fuel new wars across the Middle East. More money for Tehran means more drones and rockets for Hizbullah in Lebanon. The only realistic strategy is one based on sustained maximum pressure - including kinetic action if necessary - diplomatic isolation, economic sanctions, and decisive measures aimed at dismantling Iran's nuclear and ballistic programs permanently. Anything less will simply postpone the next crisis while making the Iranian regime richer, stronger, and more dangerous.