Trump's Counter-Revolution Strategy: Flood The Zone, Drain The Swamp

Authored by Victor Davis Hanson via The Daily Signal,

We’re getting close to 90 days and even coming up close, in a week, 10 days, to the first 100 days of the Trump administration and this counterrevolution that he’s waging.

I thought it might be wise just to see where we are as far as the political landscape and the dynamics of the progress of this counterrevolution. 

What is President Donald Trump trying to do? 

I think I would sum it up as flooding the zone. And that is, he’s going to try to propose and enact so many radical corrections or revolutions or reforms or recalibrations that his opposition doesn’t know where to start.

So, abroad, he is looking at the Iran deal and he got rid of it. He put sanctions. 

He’s got maximum pressure. And now, the Iranian economy is about defunct. And they want to negotiate about this nuclear weapon. I don’t think they’re going to negotiate it away, but we’ll see.

And then, he’s dealing with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Russian President Vladimir Putin and trying to get a ceasefire. 

He’s basically dealt with the Houthis.

On the domestic front, there is no more illegal immigration. 

He’s basically stopped it. Now, the task is what to do with the 12 million illegal aliens that came under former President Joe Biden. And what do you do with the 20 million-plus, maybe 30 million that were here already illegally but for a longer period of time?

At the same time, he’s had a blanket mandate that in every Cabinet they will eliminate diversity, equity, inclusion and, by association, things like transsexual, biological males competing in women’s sports.

Women—lowering the physical standards so women could compete and pass these very rigorous endurance physical tests so that they would be in combat units on an equal level. No problem that they can’t. But they have to have the same physical requirements as men.

I could go on, but you see what he is doing. 

He’s doing so many radical corrections in a way that a Romney or a McCain or the Bushes, even Ronald Reagan would not have dreamed of that he feels the opposition will say, “Well, what do we do? Should we reply here? Do we put our interest here? Should we do this?”

And so, what is the strategy that the Left is using? 

They’re flooding the zone, too. But they’re doing it not with counterproposals. They don’t say, “This is what’s wrong with closing the border and we wanna reopen it. This is what’s wrong with the Houthis policy. This is what’s wrong with the trade deficit. This is what’s wrong”—no specific proposal.

They’re just flooding it with hysteria, the Spartacus talk, late-night comedy trashing him, another person arrested saying that he wants to kill Donald Trump, keying Teslas, firebombing Tesla agencies, outrageous things from Hollywood stars, videos from Congress. All of a sudden—we didn’t even know who Rep. Jasmine Crockett was. She’s filled that void.

But what I’m saying is they want to be so rambunctious, so crazy, so 360 degrees unhinged that they’ll create an image or a malu—where everybody wants to get almost in a fetal position: “Please, please make it all go away. I don’t know what Trump is doing but it’s so disturbing. Everybody’s so angry.” That is their strategy.

Now, what is Trump’s counterstrategy? 

His counterstrategy is to actually get people on the other side of the aisle in Congress or in the country at large or in the popular culture and try to at least be friendly to them so then they can say, “I don’t agree with Trump but what he’s doing might be needed.”

So, we have Bill Maher going to Mar-a-Lago and actually saying very nice things about Donald Trump.

On the one hand, we have Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. fighting with a bulwark of the Left at one time, fighting with left-wing people who were calling him all sorts of names and saying that he is illiberal.

We had Gretchen Whitmer, the governor of Michigan. She was in the White House. Can you believe it? She was so embarrassed about a photo-op. She had to almost cover her face.

But you can see what Trump is doing. He’s trying to get people from all sides of the Democratic and liberal progressive movement and not compromise them, but get in the picture, so then the Left will say, “Well, how can we appeal to the public and get them all angry and frenzy and hysterical when some of our major celebrities, our political figures are in Mar-a-Lago?”

Who’s gonna win? We’ll see.

Tyler Durden Sat, 04/19/2025 - 21:00

Bush-Era Swamp Creature Revealed To Be Key Figure In OKC Bombing Coverup

“As I have always said:  The only difference between the KGB and the FBI is that the KGB has never claimed to be a legitimate law enforcement agency.” ~ Jesse Trentadue

Readers may know the name John Ashcroft, attorney general under George W. Bush.

Well, good old Ashcroft was at the heart of a high profile cover-up: the Oklahoma City bombing, according to attorney Jesse Trentadue. The following comes from a court filing provided to ZeroHedge by Trentadue, attorney to OKC bombing accomplice Terry Nichols.

For context (per Jesse from kennethtrentadue.com): Jesse is the brother of Kenneth Michael Trentadue who died in August 1995, while incarcerated at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Following the death, the Department of Justice (DOJ) immediately deemed it a suicide, denied the medical examiner access to the cell where Kenneth Trentadue was killed, ordered the cell cleaned and painted, and repeatedly asked both the medical examiner and Kenneth Trentadue’s family to authorize the cremation of his body. The medical examiner could not legally authorize cremation and the family refused, demanding that Kenneth's body be returned to them. When Trentadue's body was returned to the family, they removed heavy makeup and discovered bruises all over his body, from head to foot. The bruises, cuts, and other wounds depicted an obvious beating and murder.

Now for the story…

While serving his prison sentence, Nichols attempted to spark an investigation into FBI involvement in the OKC bombing. He sent a letter stating that he could provide such information to the then head of the DOJ Ashcroft.

Ashcroft did not respond to the letter but immediately forbade the media from speaking to Nichols, which resulted in 60 Minutes cancelling a sit-down interview they had scheduled with Nichols, says Trentadue. Shortly thereafter, Nichols said he received a visit from a man presenting an offer from the DOJ to undo Nichols’ death sentence if he agreed to three conditions:

• Take ownership of an anonymous warning the DOJ received saying the Murrah Building was bombed 30 minutes before it actually had been.
• Implicate Nichols’ own brother in the bombing plot.
• Reveal the location of the “Kinestick”, an explosive used in the bombing. Nichols mentioned having knowledge of an unused stache in his letter to Ashcroft. The existence of a remaining stache was not known at the time.

The existence of the mysterious call was independently corroborated in Stephen Jones’ book Others Unknown and even covered by ABC News:

ABC News 20/20 reports on how someone called the Executive Secretariat in DC about a half hour before the OKC bombing and said "the Murrah building has just been bombed" pic.twitter.com/XzMTFiCG6r

— Richard ✞ (@okc_facts) April 19, 2025

It was discovered that the DOJ proxy (Michael Selby) who visited Nichols previously worked in Ashcroft’s private security detail. Trentadue helped to further corroborate that this meeting took place by telling ZH:

After the declaration was filed, Selby called me upset as hell.  Said that I had just got him “fucking killed.”  The attorney who brought Selby into meet Nichols is Rodney Uphoff.  A law professor at the University of Missouri.  I called Uphoff and he confirmed the event.

It is strange that such an offer – giving leniency to an accomplice to one of the most horrific domestic terrorist attacks in U.S. history – would be presented by someone who does not work at the DOJ and stipulate that Nichol take credit for an anonymous tip which he did not make. 

Nichols ultimately did not accept the deal because he did not want to throw his brother under the bus.

The story, now part of official record thanks to Trentadue, serves as an interesting look into the true conspiracies that Ashcroft may have had a hand in.

To see the full spectrum of official documents that Jesse Trentadue has fought hard to force the government to release, follow his website named in honor of his brother who he believes was murdered by the FBI: http://www.kennethtrentadue.com/

And for a great interview where Trentadue discusses the contents of this article and more, listen to friend-of-ZeroHedge Scott Horton interview Jesse just last month.

As for Ashcroft, after 'retiring' he started a private lobbying firm that quickly secured the Israeli government as its first client.

 

Tyler Durden Sat, 04/19/2025 - 20:25

'Made-In-America' Entrepreneurs See Opportunities In Global Tariffs

Authored by Allan Stein via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

It’s more than just a label. “Made in America” represents pride and the national spirit, says John Roy, CEO of Dawson Knives in Prescott, Arizona.

Illustration by The Epoch Times, Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

The company he heads is a prime example of that spirit. Founded more than 50 years ago by a Vietnam vet with machinery made from parts found in a local landfill, the knife company boasts that it’s “three generations strong.”

Roy believes domestic companies will thrive under the import tariffs enacted by the Trump administration.

With consumption accounting for nearly 70 percent of the U.S. economy, Roy believes there is a strong market for products made in America.

In 2023, nearly half of the goods purchased by Americans were “made in America,” according to the Department of Commerce. That figure comes with the caveat that “made in America” sometimes means “assembled in America,” with products containing imported components.

The total gross domestic purchases in the country reached $3.7 trillion, with $1.9 trillion of that amount attributable to U.S. industries.

“When you keep it domestic and your dollars here [in America], it pays off,” Roy says proudly, wearing a T-shirt and cap emblazoned with his company logo.

“We rode out a pandemic, and we’re going to ride through these tariffs,” he told The Epoch Times.

That’s not just a bold statement, Roy said.

After President Donald Trump announced a sweeping array of tariffs on April 2, Roy reported that Dawson’s knife sales increased from $11,000 to $15,000 per day.

He said the company expects orders to double from 4,000 to 8,000 for 2025. It produces 40 different models of knives, including hunting, survival, culinary, and heirloom varieties.

Roy is convinced that many American companies can withstand a global trade war by sourcing materials domestically and maximizing production efficiency.

“In order to have that efficiency, we have to really invest in computers … everything to help us down the line to make better models, better manufacturing, and reduce steps,” he said.

The company currently employs 15 people and operates within 12,000 square feet of industrial space.

Roy said many consumers prefer goods that are “completely American-made.”

John Roy, CEO of Dawson Knives, displays a part of the complex knife-making process, in Prescott, Ariz., on April 14, 2025. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

He does not foresee any problems sourcing materials as long as his domestic supply remains steady within a global tariff environment.

Government policies that impact his suppliers have also been a challenge.

Roy said that a longtime steel producer and supplier in New York recently went out of business due to restrictions on coal—a key ingredient in steel production.

Dawson Knives had maintained a working relationship with the steel producer since the company started in 1973.

However, another U.S.-based company has stepped in to smelt the needed steel, Roy said.

Despite potentially higher costs for some raw materials in the United States, Roy expects that using domestic suppliers will mean fewer “headaches” related to shipping and no import duties.

He views this as a distinct advantage.

With the materials he currently has in stock, and absent any unforeseen circumstances, he expects to weather a global trade upheaval for at least a year and a half. 

Roy based his timeline on his supplier’s steel inventory for the next year and a half.

“After that, we would have to pay tariffs on steel because one component of the steel we use can only be found in Switzerland,” he said. 

“The tariffs will not affect us unless they go on for a long time.” 

Sweet Success

Jay Levine owns San Francisco Chocolate Factory, a Phoenix-based company with more than 28 years of experience.

His company currently employs four full-time staff members, who produce gourmet chocolates, fudge, and treats for special events and walk-in customers.

The chocolatier sources his ingredients domestically, making his business largely immune to tariffs.

“Everything I buy is local [or it] comes from the United States,” Levine, a Montreal native, told The Epoch Times.

Jay Levine, owner of San Francisco Choclate Factory, stands behind the counter of his new facility in Phoenix on April 10, 2025. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times

He buys his apples from Washington, strawberries and nuts from other domestic suppliers. The American-grown items are not subject to import restrictions and are readily available.

The one exception is high quality Callebaut chocolate from Belgium, an ingredient that is now subject to a 10 percent import duty.

As he completes a new facility on Van Buren Street in Phoenix, Levine said his business has continued to do well despite the imposition of new tariffs.

“Quality really has no rights on it,” he said, “so you want to do top quality chocolates. All of our food products come from the United States.”

If tariffs continue, Levine said he “would switch to good [domestic] chocolate, which is locally grown here.” However, even that local supplier gets its cocoa beans from Ivory Coast.

According to the Observatory of Economic Complexity, an international trade data platform, the Ivory Coast’s main imports to the United States in January included cocoa beans valued at $161 million and cocoa paste valued at $41.7 million, followed by rubber valued at $19.1 million.

The U.S. government imposed a 21 percent tariff on goods from the tiny West African country, although it was paused for 90 days to facilitate negotiations. However, all U.S. trading partners are still subject to a baseline tariff of 10 percent.

Tariffs aren’t driving the current high prices though.

“I know that chocolate has doubled [in price] in the past year—and the reason for that was just price inflation,” Levine said. “I’ve never seen chocolate so high—ever.”

Levine expressed confidence that his company can endure the current tariffs, due to a steady demand for chocolate in America.

“This is an indulgence,” he said. “People will pay extra for it.”

That being said, “they won’t be buying as much chocolate“ under the tariffs, he predicted. ”Price is a factor.”

An employee wraps confectionaries at San Francisco Chocolate Factory in Phoenix on April 10, 2025. The company currently employs four full-time staff members producing gourmet chocolates, fudge, and treats for special events and walk-in customers. Allan Stein/The Epoch Times Treading Confidently

Don’t Tread On Me was founded in 2004 and American-made shirts and hoodies are the foundation of its clothing product line.

The exception are the company’s hats, which feature American motifs with the company’s signature coiled rattlesnake emblem.

“Right now, all of the hats and beanies are [produced] overseas, but I’ve been looking into domestic options,” company president Tyler Windes told The Epoch Times.

“There aren’t very many USA hat manufacturers, so it does make it difficult sourcing those.”

Windes said that even before the recent tariff changes, the company was considering moving its hat production to the United States.

“These new policies have simply reinforced our commitment and accelerated that timeline,” Windes said.

Sourcing his hats from a domestic manufacturer has been challenging, nonetheless Windes remains hopeful that the tariffs will lead to increased investment in American textile and apparel production.

This development would make it easier for companies like his to manufacture their products fully within the United States, he said.

Read the rest here...

Tyler Durden Sat, 04/19/2025 - 19:50

Trump Versus The Meteor

Authored by J. Peder Zane via RealClearPolitics,

A single death is a tragedy; a million deaths is a statistic.

The quote attributed to Joseph Stalin has become the modus operandi for attacks on President Trump.

Each day brings horror stories of specific victims allegedly caught in Trump’s dastardly web: the wrongfully deported migrant, the African child whose life-saving medicine is threatened, the promising young bureaucrat felled by Elon Musk’s axe.

Even accounting for the hyperbole that casts each illegal immigrant as an angel and every government program and federal employee as doing God’s work, these anecdotes do fall somewhere between unfortunate and tragic. Would you want to trade places with these people? Their stories pull on the heartstrings of Americans, a generous and compassionate people who recoil at suffering.

But their stories are also a cynical strategy deployed by those who seek to derail Trump’s reforms by trumpeting the ”tragedy” of isolated individuals. The same crocodile tears crowd that dismissed struggling Americans’ concerns about crushing inflation, the victims of sexual violence and human trafficking of children brought about by Joe Biden’s border policies, and massive job losses as mere “statistics.”

We do not know how President Trump’s reforms will shake out. Only his most devoted acolytes could have 100% faith in his unpredictable governing style. Still, there is a strong moral case for the spirit of Trump’s actions, which has been tendentiously ignored in coverage of his first 100 days.

A million deaths is not a statistic, but a million tragedies. Trump’s reform efforts hinge on the blindingly obvious premise that tomorrow’s pain will be far worse and more widespread if we do not act today. He is a doctor addressing a sick patient; his opponents seem happy to let the grave illness metastasize. Irony doesn’t quite capture the commitment of those who see existential threats around every corner and then ignore the clear and present dangers to our country.

A fiscal meteor is heading our way; everybody knows it. But our deeply secular ruling class seems to be banking on divine intervention to save the day. That speeding rock everyone can see is, of course, our national debt, which now stands at almost $37 trillion. We added $1.3 trillion to that total in the first half of the 2025 fiscal year. Since the Reagan administration, fiscal Cassandras have warned that our spending path is unsustainable. And yet, here we are. At some point, this looming threat will become a wrecking ball, forcing huge cuts in the programs hundreds of millions of Americans count on. Those who decry the knife Trump is bringing to government jobs and services are only setting us up for the chainsaw tomorrow.

Pay me now, or pay me later – but pay me you will. This isn’t politics, it’s math.

Everybody knows this, but only Trump seems willing to do something about it.

Thanks to Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency, the waste, fraud, and abuse that infects so much government spending has become front-page news. These revelations should be a rousing call to action for everyone who believes in the necessity of government to improve people’s lives. They should be thanking Trump for trying to rescue their sinking ship.

Instead, they attack him. In an ideal world, Trump and Musk would be more measured in their assault on spending. They would have studied every program and job, delivering a detailed blueprint for reform. The political reality, of course, is that they had to move quickly. Our recent history has been filled with blue ribbon panels and special commissions on the deficit and debt that accomplished little. Act now, or never.

In a further irony, Trump’s progressive opponents are taking a page from the reactionary playbook, which years ago argued that, yes, slavery was wrong and integration was necessary, but change? Not just yet. In time.

The time is now because of the urgency of our crisis and because we finally have a leader who is willing to suffer slings and arrows to save us. Will Trump succeed? Ultimately, this will depend far more on the will of the people than on his vocal detractors in politics and the press. The cuts and reforms he has initiated are just the beginning. Getting our fiscal house in order will almost certainly require real, painful sacrifice from taxpayers and beneficiaries of government programs. It is still not clear if he has the will to do all that is necessary. If he does, history suggests that he will be punished instead of rewarded for this courage.

That doesn’t change the choice before us: some tragedies now or millions later.

J. Peder Zane is a RealClearInvestigations editor and columnist. He previously worked as a book review editor and book columnist for the News & Observer (Raleigh), where his writing won several national honors. Zane has also worked at the New York Times and taught writing at Duke University and Saint Augustine’s University.

Tyler Durden Sat, 04/19/2025 - 18:40

Socialist AoC & Bernie Sanders Caught Using Private Jets On "Fighting Oligarchy" Tour

Socialists Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have been spotted flying around the country on private jets—costing upwards of $15,000 per hour—while making stops on their "Fighting Oligarchy" tour to rile up deranged leftists against Elon Musk, who also enjoys the luxury of private jet travel. Ironically, AOC, Bernie, and Musk seem to have more in common than they'd like to admit.

Fox News provided new details about the so-called "champagne socialists"... 

Sanders boarded the luxury Bombardier Challenger private jet at the Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield, California, on Tuesday afternoon, according to a photo captured by a source on the ground and shared exclusively with Fox News Digital. Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, whom the source also spotted boarding the private jet, spoke at their "Fighting Oligarchy" event in Bakersfield just hours earlier.

Flight records reveal the jet landed at Sacramento Mather Airport on Tuesday evening, which is about a 20-minute drive to Folsom, California, where the self-identified Democratic socialists hosted their second rally of the day. After publication Thursday, Fox News Digital obtained new footage of Sanders and AOC exiting the private jet in Sacramento Tuesday evening from California resident Matvei Levchenko.

The jet Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez were seen boarding and deplaning made stops in Salt Lake City and Boise prior to landing in Bakersfield, according to flight records. The arrival dates match the duo's "Fighting Oligarchy" events in Salt Lake City and Nampa, which is about a 25-minute drive from Boise Airport.

HEIGHT OF IRONY: @BernieSanders and @AOC take $15,000 an hour private jet to 'Fighting Oligarchy' rallies. pic.twitter.com/TpghHQ1VAp

— Fox News (@FoxNews) April 17, 2025

Also, let's not forget: when AOC and Sanders aren't trying to destroy Elon Musk's US companies - some of which are critical to national security - the leftists are telling Americans to give up their Cummins-powered Dodge Rams, two-stroke weedwhackers, air conditioning, gas stoves, meat, and more.

Footage:

Bernie Sanders and AOC disembark from a private jet to go 'fight oligarchy'... Sanders has spent over $220,000 on jets so far this year. Full story here: https://t.co/olQCyWvlRh pic.twitter.com/WMqsApkoGF

— m o d e r n i t y (@ModernityNews) April 18, 2025

Sanders is a three-decade broken socialist record. 

BREAKING: Bernie Sanders has some terrible news.

Donald Trump is rapidly turning America into an oligarchy. pic.twitter.com/VCfd5sxgx4

— MAZE (@mazemoore) April 11, 2025

While pretending to be anti-corporation and anti-establishment, Sanders has fallen into the Big Pharma honeytrap. 

People demand genuineness from Democrats - something the socialist cannot do as their polling data has plummeted to record lows... 

Whoops!

'Inorganic' - GPS Data Reveals Bernie Sanders, AOC Anti-Oligarchy Rally Was Full Of Serial Protesters https://t.co/TawQtLBvEe

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 23, 2025

Meanwhile, on tour, AoC developed a new accent. 

Oh look, AOC is doing the interchangeable accents to fit the demographic she's in front of.

Did she take notes from Kamala?pic.twitter.com/0wfhWoVUOB

— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) April 15, 2025

Socialist Democrats are clowns. They've become history's big joke as the clown show has been exposed to the masses, yet these radical politicians continue doubling down on insanity. 

Tyler Durden Sat, 04/19/2025 - 18:05

US And Iran Conclude Second Round Of Nuclear Talks, Agree To Third

Authored by Andrew Thornebrooke via The Epoch Times,

Iran and the United States have ended their second round of talks aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear weapons development and agreed to hold a third next week.

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and presidential envoy Steve Witkoff held the second round of talks in Rome on April 19.

As with the first round of talks, which were held in the Omani capital of Muscat last week, the pair negotiated indirectly through an Omani official who shuttled messages between the two sides.

Witkoff and Araghchi interacted with one another briefly at the end of the first round of talks, but officials from the two countries have not held direct negotiations since 2015 under President Barack Obama.

The pair agreed on Saturday to meet again in Oman on April 26. Additional experts from both sides will also meet between now and that time, suggesting that there has been some movement in the second round of talks between the two countries.

The experts will discuss details of a possible deal on a technical level, according to Iran.

“The talks were held in a constructive environment and I can say that is moving forward,” Araghchi told Iranian state television. “I hope that we will be in a better position after the technical talks.”

The high-stakes talks largely hinge on Witkoff and Araghchi’s ability to find common ground on Iran’s nuclear program and regional security issues.

Araghchi said ahead of the talks that Tehran was committed to diplomacy and called on “all parties involved in the talks to seize the opportunity to reach a reasonable and logical nuclear deal.”

“Such an agreement should respect Iran’s legitimate rights and lead to the lifting of unjust sanctions on the country while addressing any doubts about its nuclear work,” Araghchi said, according to Iranian state media.

Tehran has sought to tamp down expectations of a quick deal, however, and Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said this week he was “neither overly optimistic nor pessimistic” that a deal would be reached.

Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Capability in Focus

It is unclear what the current contours of negotiations hinge on. Iranian officials last week said the initial rounds of talks would be focused on laying out each party’s position and any red lines.

To that end, U.S. President Donald Trump has made preventing Tehran’s acquisition of a nuclear weapon a priority of his foreign policy platform. He appears willing to allow the Middle Eastern country to maintain its nuclear power facilities, provided its uranium enrichment is brought to lower thresholds.

“I’m for stopping Iran, very simply, from having a nuclear weapon,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Friday. “They can’t have a nuclear weapon. [But] I want Iran to be great and prosperous and terrific.”

Trump first sent a letter to Khamenei in March, suggesting a new deal to curb Iran’s nuclear program, which Tehran refused at the time.

Since then, Trump has doubled down on his stance that the United States “can’t let [Iran] have a nuclear weapon” and has threatened to use military action against Iran if a deal is not reached.

“If they don’t make a deal, there will be bombing, and it will be bombing the likes of which they have never seen before,” Trump wrote in a March 30 social media post.

Trump also restored a “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran in February, reimposing sanctions on Tehran as part of the wider effort to push Iran to the negotiating table.

Tehran does not have nuclear weapons and has continued to enrich uranium at near weapons-grade levels since Trump unilaterally terminated a bilateral nuclear agreement in 2018 that had placed limits on such activities. At the time, Trump criticized the deal as “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into” and said it “gave the Iranian regime too much in exchange for too little.”

A report by the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog released early in the year suggested that Iran had accelerated its production of near-weapons-grade uranium to such an extent that Tehran could likely produce about a half dozen warheads if it so chose.

Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and that it is willing to negotiate some curbs in return for the lifting of sanctions, but wants watertight guarantees that Washington will not renege again.

46 Years of Enmity

Overcoming the historical enmity between Washington and Tehran is no easy feat. Relations between the two powers have been antagonistic for nearly half a century.

Iran was once one of the United States’ top allies in the Middle East. The Iranian monarchy purchased American-made weapons and was seen by U.S. leaders as an authoritarian but modernizing force that provided a bulwark against the spread of communism.

That relationship came to an end in 1979, when Iran’s last ruling monarch fled the nation amid popular uprisings, and power was seized by Islamist forces. Since that time, the Islamic Republic of Iran has opposed the secular modernism associated with the United States and called for the destruction of the nation of Israel.

Tensions between Washington and Tehran have reached a near breaking point in recent years, however, owing in part to Iran’s financial and military support of terror groups including Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Houthis in Yemen.

Tehran has also signed extensive military technology agreements with Russia in recent years and conducted oil-for-services deals with China that skirt international sanctions. Though it is unclear to what extent, if any, those issues will weigh on current talks.

Tyler Durden Sat, 04/19/2025 - 17:30