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Source: https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/jun/16/memorandum-understanding-not-peace-deal-iran/
The Memorandum of Understanding Is Not a "Peace Deal" with Iran
(Washington Times) Clifford D. May - American diplomats have been talking to mediators for the Khomeinists who slaughtered tens of thousands of Iranians just this January. Can anyone seriously believe they care about economic prosperity? Iran's rulers never win on battlefields, but I cannot recall them ever losing in negotiations. Last year, Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, published the English-language version of his book: The Power of Negotiation: Principles and Rules of Political and Diplomatic Negotiations. He made clear that if a diplomatic outcome is more important to Washington than to his regime, then his regime will prevail. "The Iranian negotiation style...means continuous and tireless bargaining." Over time, opponents grow weary. What President Trump has accomplished cannot be denied. But it is what the Israelis call "mowing the lawn." It is a treatment, not a cure. Ayatollah Mohsen Araki, a top member of Iran's Assembly of Experts, said last week, "America is a hostile infidel enemy, and jihad against it with all one's strength is obligatory." By now, this should be obvious: The Islamic Republic is not and does not intend to be a "partner for peace." The writer is founder and president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).