After months of diplomacy punctuated by military strikes, the United States and Iran have stopped fighting and signed a memorandum of understanding. The technical grind of nuclear issues and the Strait of Hormuz will consume much of the 60-day period for negotiations. But the deeper question is whether durable stability is possible without addressing the … Read more
After 10 attempts, the Senate finally voted on Tuesday to block President Donald Trump from resuming the war with Iran without congressional approval. Four Republicans — Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Ala.), and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) — joined all but one Democrat in supporting the concurrent resolution which was passed by … Read more
As J.D. Vance struggles to finalize a peace deal with Iran, and Trump threatens to resume bombing his adversary if they don’t comply, Congress is voting to halt the war altogether. On Tuesday, the Senate voted 50-48 on a resolution ordering the president to pull forces out of Iran pending the legislative branch actually authorizing … Read more
Even if the framework agreement to end the U.S.-Israel-Iran War is successful, economic fallout from the conflict will persist at least through the end of the year. And the consequences for the global economic system — particularly the centrality of the U.S. dollar and its dominance of the oil trade — may be more far … Read more
When the terms of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Trump administration and the Iranian government leaked last week, lawmakers from both parties said they looked forward to reviewing it. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), a strong supporter of the war with Iran, said “any nuclear deal with Iran will be sent to Congress for review … Read more
On June 18, Iran and the U.S. signed an agreement, titled the “Islamabad Memorandum,” which committed both countries to an immediate and permanent end to hostilities, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and 60 days of negotiations to reach a final agreement. Within 48 hours, Iran had closed the strait again. The reason was … Read more
Assume, for the sake of argument, that you think the U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) just signed by President Donald Trump in Versailles is a disaster for both the United States and especially for Israel. Who would you want to be in the forefront of the campaign to persuade American public opinion that it should … Read more
During the G7 conference on Wednesday, Donald Trump told reporters that while “nobody knows what it is,” his supposed deal with Iran “is very strong and most people seem to be very happy.” The deal, which is actually a 14-point “memorandum of understanding,” was made public hours later. It addresses virtually none of the Trump … Read more
I have spent years fighting against Trump’s push toward war with Iran, and I have the scars to prove it. When Trump withdrew from the JCPOA in 2018, I warned that it would eventually bring us to this moment. Ever since, I have consistently argued against the confrontational path he set the United States on. … Read more
The roles played by Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Turkey in facilitating the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding” underscore the extent to which regional actors have invested in creating off-ramps for the United States and Iran, and steering the conflict away from further escalation. Across the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), this diplomatic off-ramp has garnered broad … Read more