Should “deal” with Iran be vacated?

It is unfortunate that Iran’s obviously insane Supreme Leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei, does not have sense enough to keep his stupid mouth shut. Just weeks after the “deal” with the U.S. and the West to control Iran’s “potential”—but likely de facto—development of nuclear weapons, his pronouncements have called into immediate question the credibility of its terms. There will be no more talks with the “Great Satan”? Israel will be destroyed within 25 years? With what? The nuclear weapons they claim are not being constructed in their secret mountain facility that outside inspectors are not being permitted to monitor? It can’t be just their long-range missile capability, since Israel has its own “secret weapon” in which to retaliate. 

I confess that initially I supported the nuclear agreement supposedly limiting Iran to its claims of “peaceful” nuclear power generation in return for reduced economic sanctions. As questionable as the “deal” seems in practice, one thought at least that this was a first step in “normalizing” at least the idea of civilized communication between the U.S. and Iran. But that is clearly not the result. Iran’s religious leaders apparently feel that they must continue to “demonize” the U.S. as a propaganda tool to justify their existence—they must remain in power to “thwart” the sinful West, of which the U.S. is the “leader.”

While it may be that Khamenei is attempting to restore his own credibility among Islamic extremists with such language, one must take into account that it has been over 36 years since the Islamic revolution in Iran, and its leaders continue to use the same retread language year-after-year. Of course, there has been some “modification” to their stance from time-to-time. Take for instance the none-dare-call-it-treasonable actions of Oliver North and company during the Reagan administration. In order to illegally arm a band of right-wing thugs and murders in Nicaragua (called Contra “freedom fighters”), North helped persuade Israel to function as a “middleman” in the sale of Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to Iran. Remember, Iran was our deadly enemy supporting terrorist groups against the U.S. targets. However, such actions are propagandized as “patriotic” when Republicans are involved.

As it stands now after Khamenei’s ill-timed comments, not only is “normalization” with Iran as far away as ever, it might even have been  kicked down the road still further distant because of the nuclear “deal.” Of course, we in the U.S. may find ourselves scratching our collective heads concerning the ayatollah’s incendiary commentary, and believe he and his fellow Islamic fanatics all over the world are the real “satanic” presence. But we should have known better, and there is no real rationalization to trust their word now.