Posted on 04/16/2025 9:57:33 AM PDT by marcusmaximus
President Trump has vowed to prevent Iran from getting a nuclear weapon — but inside his national security team there's a divide over the best way to do it.
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One camp, unofficially led by Vice President Vance, believes a diplomatic solution is both preferable and possible and that the U.S. should be ready to make compromises in order to make it happen. Vance is highly involved in the Iran policy discussions, another U.S. official said.
This camp includes also Trump's envoy Steve Witkoff — who represented the U.S. at the first round of Iran talks on Saturday — and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. It also gets outside support from MAGA influencer and Trump whisperer Tucker Carlson.
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The other camp, which includes national security adviser Mike Waltz and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, is highly suspicious of Iran and extremely skeptical of the chances of a deal that significantly rolls back Iran's nuclear program, U.S. officials say.
Senators close to Trump like Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) also hold that view.
This camp believes Iran is weaker than ever, and therefore the U.S. should not compromise but insist Tehran fully dismantle its nuclear program — and should either strike Iran directly or support an Israeli strike if they don't.
Iran hawks like Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, are lobbying hard for that approach. "The president once called the 2015 Obama deal fatally flawed. The question now is whether he still believes it," Dubowitz told Axios, warning against accepting "a warmed-over Obama deal."
(Excerpt) Read more at axios.com ...
<< One camp, unofficially led by Vice President Vance, believes a diplomatic solution is both preferable and possible >>
Preferable, yes. Possible, no. At least not with mullah types.
A diplomatic solution is preferable to the military option.
However, it is highly unlikely that the he Iranians will accept a legit agreement (or any agreement for that matter) to dismantle their nuclear programs so diplomacy has little chance of success. .
The Trump position seems to be, the program is gone - you either dismantle the program or it will be destroyed
One thing that is for certain. After the recent massive, unprovoked missile and drone attacks by Iran and the Houthis, Iran simply cannot be allowed achieve nuclear break out. The Iranians are negotiating to play for time while they execute a joint Iranian, Russian, Chinese and North Korean crash program to field nuclear weapons to join the nuclear club.
I have always been accused of being neocon.
Blast them to smithereens!
47 will go with the Hegseth-Vance-Witkoff-Carlson scenario and accept the warmed over 0bama deal. No wars on his watch, remember.
Of course, they will be totally “surprised” when things go mushroomed shaped in the ME, Rome and NYC.
Moving to the number 1 position on this weeks countdown, “Bomb Iran” by Vince Vance and the Valiants! (no relation)
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