Iran Tells America to Stop Being Mean Before It Agrees to Another Deal

Araghchi gets caught picking nose, pretends to be scratching it

One of the more amusing traditions of modern diplomacy is watching the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism lecture the United States about proper etiquette. It is a bit like being scolded on table manners by a burglar climbing through your kitchen window.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi took to X on Tuesday to announce that "negotiations on a final deal will not commence" if the United States continues making military threats. Apparently, the regime that has spent decades funding terrorist proxies, chanting "Death to America," and pursuing regional domination has suddenly become very sensitive about harsh language.

Araghchi insisted that "Para 13 of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is clear. Negotiations on final Deal (sic) will not commence if threats continue."

Then came the wonderfully indignant command: "Honor your signature."

There is something almost poetic about hearing representatives of the Islamic Republic lecture America about honoring agreements. This is, after all, the same regime that has treated international commitments as Dad jokes whenever they stood in the way of its ambitions. But now Washington is expected to speak softly while Tehran pockets concessions.

Paragraph 13 of the memorandum states that the United States and Iran are committed to implementing a ceasefire, lifting the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, waiving sanctions, and unfreezing restricted assets before broader negotiations begin.

It adds, "The United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran will start negotiations regarding the final deal exclusively on the other paragraphs."

The timing of Araghchi's warning was hardly mysterious. He appeared to be responding to President Donald Trump's remarks on Monday when Trump reminded Tehran that America still possesses both patience and overwhelming military power that can 'bomb the crap' out of Iran if we so choose.

"We're going to make a deal, or we're going to finish the job," Trump said.

That is called leverage. It is also what happens when the world's strongest military negotiates with a regime that has spent years mistaking Western weakness for virtue.

Araghchi attempted to project confidence by declaring, "Millions of proud Iranians rallied in unity to honor Grand Ayatollah Khamenei and his legacy. Neither they nor our Brave Armed Forces are moved by any threats."

U.S. Democrat mourns Khamenei's untimely death from above

Governments that are truly unafraid rarely feel compelled to announce it. History has a funny way of exposing the difference between confidence and propaganda.

America should remember a lesson that has too often been forgotten. Peace is preserved not by pretending tyrants are misunderstood partners. Peace comes when America's adversaries understand that our promises mean something, our patience has limits, and our strength is more than a talking point. 

If Tehran finds that intimidating, perhaps the problem is not the tone coming from Washington. Perhaps it is finally realizing that the era of endless American apologies has come to an end. 

The reality is that while the regime leaders and the IRGC continue to turn oxygen into carbon dioxide, this conflict will never end. 

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Iranians protest against Trump's deal: happy birthday Mr. President

Dozens of Iranian citizens gathered Saturday night to remind the ruling mullahs that revolutionary bloodlust is a lot more fun when you’re not the ones getting blamed for losing a war.

The protesters, representing Iran’s hardline faction, assembled outside the Foreign Ministry office in Mashhad because apparently even authoritarian theocracies have their own version of angry cable news comment sections.

According to footage published by the state affiliated Fars News Agency, demonstrators called for the death of Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi after he committed the unforgivable offense of hinting that maybe getting vaporized by the United States indefinitely isn’t a long term strategic plan.

Araghchi recently posted on X that a deal with the United States is “closer than ever,” which in Iran’s hardline circles is roughly the equivalent of announcing you’ve joined a vegan drum circle in Berkeley.

The crowd chanted, “Death to dishonorable Araghchi, the compromiser,” while demanding his immediate resignation, because nothing says stable governance quite like public death chants aimed at your own cabinet officials. At least they didn't throw stones at him.

At a separate rally outside the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, protesters demanded that Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf resign alongside Araghchi. It turns out the “Death to America” crowd gets very cranky when America survives.

Others at the Tehran demonstration shouted, “Araghchi, what about my leader’s blood?” in reference to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed during the opening strikes of the Iran war back in February. As it turns out, martyrdom sounds a lot more inspirational in speeches than it does when your side is the one collecting the martyrs.

Hossein Shariatmadari, editor of the regime mouthpiece Kayhan newspaper, blasted the reported terms of the prospective deal, particularly the possibility of Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz. In his view, threatening to torch the global economy remains Tehran’s best negotiating tactic, which is sort of like insisting the guy waving a gas can around should really be taken more seriously.

Iranian lawmaker Mohammad Mannan Raisi also condemned the memorandum of understanding expected to be signed Sunday, claiming it violates the red lines established by the late Khamenei. The Iranian regime spent decades insisting America was weak and decadent, only to arrive at the negotiating table furious that America didn’t politely lose.

Raisi urged Iranian leaders to show “a bit of honor” and reject any agreement with President Donald Trump, whom he described as the “killer” of Khamenei. Which is probably not the sort of nickname Trump minds seeing on a campaign poster.

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There's a new guy actually running Iran and he's an obstacle to peace

Happy-Go-Lucky Ahmad Vahidi

After the US-Israeli airstrikes had shaken the very foundations of Iran’s leadership and left dozens of its top officials dead in the opening phase of the conflict, one figure emerged from the shadows to seize control of the Islamic Republic. This was no moderate reformer or reluctant pragmatist, but a terrorist and opportunist in waiting who had long prepared for such a moment.

Major General Ahmad Vahidi, the happy-go-lucky commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, gathered his inner circle and assumed direction of both the military campaign and the negotiating effort. Analysts noted the shift immediately. As soon as Vahidi, now a spritely 67, and his allies took charge, Iran hardened its position still further. 

Officials refused outright to join peace talks with the United States this week, while Tehran intensified its attacks on vessels attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Vahidi, long sanctioned by the West and tied to terror attacks in Argentina, embodies the most extreme faction within the regime, so don't let his religious zabiba [A zabiba (Arabic for "raisin") is a dark, hardened callus on the forehead of some Muslims, known as a prayer bump or "devout sign"] make you think otherwise.

He has pushed aside Tehran’s so-called moderates, including those nominally leading negotiations with America. Even if Washington were somehow to extract a deal from Iran’s delegation, that agreement would carry no weight so long as Vahidi and his hardliner scumcrumpets remain the true power behind the throne. And with the gay junior Ayatollah laid up uni-legged, and probably looking like ten miles of bad road, there is nobody else running things for the regime.

Vahidi had commanded Iran’s goose-stepping, Hitler-esque elite Quds Force in the 1990s. In that role he laid the groundwork for Iranian influence across the Middle East before passing the position to the terror mastermind, the late but not forgotten Qasem Soleimani. Together, Vahidi and Soleimani helped create the network of proxies that now stretches from Lebanon to Yemen, most notably the Hezbollah terrorist group.

Unlike the last two IRGC chiefs, Vahidi moved comfortably between the military and political worlds. He served as defense minister and interior minister under different administrations. Last December the now dead Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei appointed him deputy chief of the IRGC. When Khamenei and former IRGC Chief Mohammad Pakpour were killed in US-Israeli strikes on 28 February, Vahidi rose to the top like a log in a cesspool, if you know what I mean.

The question that now hangs over Tehran is simple: who is really in charge in Iran? 

Following Khamenei’s death, Vahidi championed the late leader’s unimpressive gay son, Mojtaba Khamenei, as successor, despite reports that the old ayatollah had never intended him for the role due to his embarassing sexual taste and less than desired cognitive abilities. 

Mojtaba was injured in the 28 February strikes and has not been seen in public since. Khosro Isfahani, research director for the Washington-based National Union for Democracy an Iran think tank, offered a blunt assessment.

“If Mojtaba is alive, and that is a big if, he is just a sock puppet. He is the first AI-generated supreme leader in human history,” Isfahani told The Post, referencing the fake photos the regime had posted of Mojtaba following his appointment. “He has zero political capital, zero public support, and zero sway over the decision-making. The regime has and will continue attributing statements to him,” Isfahani added.

Vahidi’s grip on the negotiating team became unmistakable when he installed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, an IRGC veteran and secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, into the delegation earlier this month. Zolghadr’s task, according to the Institute for the Study of War, was to ensure the team followed the IRGC’s hardline instructions. He fulfilled that role with ruthless efficiency. When Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi appeared to hint at possible concessions in the first round of talks, Zolghadr promptly reported him.

“Zolghadr sent a complaint to senior IRGC leaders, almost certainly including Vahidi, that Araghchi had surpassed his mandate during the negotiations by expressing flexibility regarding Iran’s support for the Axis of Resistance,” the ISW said of the initial peace talks. “Zolghadr’s anger caused senior leaders in Tehran, including former IRGC Intelligence Organization Chief and long-time member of Mojtaba’s inner circle, Hossein Taeb, to call the negotiating delegation back to Tehran,” the think tank added.

Iran’s delegation has still not returned to Pakistan to resume talks with the United States. The message is clear. Vahidi and his allies, not the diplomats or the figurehead supreme leader, now dictate the course of the Islamic Republic. The regime’s most extreme elements hold the reins, and they show no intention of loosening their grip as they continue to get their butts kicked by US and Israeli forces.

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Iranian Foreign Minister Confirms Major Damage to Nuclear Sites, Contradicting Ayatollah’s Claims

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi revealed in a state TV interview that U.S. military strikes caused significant damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, despite Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s claim that the impact was minimal.

Araghchi stated, “the level of damage is high, and it’s serious damage,” according to the Associated Press.
Assessments after the strikes show that Iran’s nuclear sites were heavily damaged in both U.S. and Israeli attacks. Iran, Israel, and the U.S. agree on the extent of the damage, despite a leaked intelligence report suggesting otherwise.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, however, in spite of hiding in a hole somewhere and not seeing the result of the attack for himself, downplayed the impact, saying, “the Americans failed to achieve anything significant in their attack on nuclear facilities.” 

He seems more focused on appearing strong than acknowledging the truth. He called Iran’s attack on the U.S. airbase Al-Udeid in Qatar a “heavy slap to the U.S.’s face,” while President Donald Trump called it a “very weak response” and thanked Iran for providing “early notice.”

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed on Tuesday that the agency observed “extensive damage at several nuclear sites in Iran, including its uranium conversion and enrichment facilities.”

Araghchi also discussed the possibility of resuming talks with the U.S., noting that the strikes “made it more complicated and more difficult” but did not completely rule out negotiations.

Nuclear talks were already uncertain before the U.S.’s Operation Midnight Hammer, as Iran accused the U.S. of being “complicit” in Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, according to Reuters, citing Iranian U.N. Ambassador Ali Bahreini.

On Wednesday, President Trump expressed hope about restarting nuclear talks with Iran, stating, “We’re going to talk to them next week, with Iran. We may sign an agreement, I don’t know. To me, I don’t think it’s that necessary. I mean, they had a war. They fought. Now they're going back to their world. I don't care if I have an agreement or not. The only thing we would be asking for is what we're asking for before about, we want no nuclear [program]. But we destroyed the nuclear.”

Despite Trump’s comments, there are no confirmed plans for the two countries to meet soon.

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SecDef says Trump "dead serious" about stopping Iran from getting nuke

President Donald Trump is “dead serious” about preventing a nuclear-armed Iran and is willing to use military force to prevent it, if necessary, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Hegseth appeared on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” on Sunday to discuss nuclear talks between the United States and Iran that kicked off on Saturday. Hegseth said that the administration is committed to finding a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear program, the president would not rule out using military force.

“President Trump is dead serious on this issue. He’s dead serious that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. He’s said that for 20 years. He’s been consistent. That is clear,” said Hegseth. “He’s dead serious that he wants it done at the negotiating table. He wants it done peacefully, and that’s why he’s going straight to these talks.”

The talks began on Saturday with delegations from the United States and Iran meeting in Oman. The teams were led respectively by U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

“These were productive talks yesterday. I don’t want to get ahead of our skis – Steve Witcoff does a fantastic job – but it was a good step, and they’re going to go at it again on Saturday,” said the Defense secretary. “But he’s also dead serious that if we can’t figure this out at the negotiating table, then there are other options – to include my department – to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear bomb.”

“We hope we never get there … but what we’re doing with the Houthis and what we’re doing in the region, we’ve shown a capability to go far, to go deep, and to go big,” he continued. “And, again, we don’t want to do that, but if we have to, we will to prevent the nuclear bomb in Iran’s hands.”

Iranian state-owned media reported on Saturday that the two sides met in Oman “in a constructive atmosphere based on mutual respect.” The White House said in a statement that the delegations would meet again in a week.

“Special Envoy Witkoff underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations’ differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible,” the White House said in a statement. “These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome. The sides agreed to meet again next Saturday.”

The talks come as Trump has leaned on Iran publicly to curb the violence of its terror proxies across the Middle East, including the Houthis in Yemen. The president warned that Iran would be “in great danger” if the talks failed.

Araghchi wrote an op-ed published in The Washington Post last week that said Iran wants to make a deal and that the regime has been in contact with the Trump administration for weeks. Araghchi also claimed that Iran had upheld the conditions under the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama. Trump had been highly critical of the deal, calling it “one-sided.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency found in February that Iran had blown past the 3.67% enrichment level for uranium set in the nuclear deal. Iran’s uranium stockpile is enriched to around 60%. Weapons-grade uranium is 90%. Iran’s stockpile is also many times larger than the limits set in the deal: approximately 8,294 kilograms to the deal’s cap of 300 kilograms.

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