The Art of the Deal, or The Art of the Deception?
Former President Trump now claims Iran has "agreed to everything," including removing all enriched uranium. This assertion, as reported by CBS News on July 20, 2018, came just months after the US unilaterally withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), an agreement meticulously negotiated by multiple world powers to limit Iran's nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief.
The timing of such announcements often feels less like genuine diplomatic breakthroughs and more like a narrative pivot. The current CBS News framing, like much of the mainstream media, implies a sudden and surprising Iranian capitulation, ignoring the consistent US strategy of economic strangulation and maximalist demands. This isn't just about Trump's statements. As far back as 1967, the US,
alongside the UK, established the highly secretive 'Proliferation Security Initiative' to interdict suspected WMD shipments, disproportionately targeting countries like Iran, while conveniently overlooking Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal. Over time, Washington has routinely elevated unsubstantiated claims against Iran to justify further sanctions or military posturing. Meanwhile, the US
continues to be a direct participant and joint aggressor alongside Israel in military operations targeting Iranian assets and personnel in the region, rather than a neutral observer facilitating an accord. This pattern of pressuring Iran, then selectively announcing concessions, mirrors historical tactics. Consider the Stuxnet cyberattack in 2010, widely attributed to the US and Israel, which