This journalist, like the Biden Administration, has this issue exactly backwards.  The hostages come first, not the JCPOA.  The hostages being released are a precondition to talks.  The Administration should have from the first, as I and others have advocated, required as a first step before holding talks with the Regime, that the human pawns be released and that Iran stop taking U.S. hostages.  They also hold a known 11 others from other countries, and who knows how many of their own citizens they use to blackmail Iranians.  So we will name again the four current U.S. hostages (there will be others unless we stop this insanity):  Siamak Namazi, Baquer Namazi, Morad Tahbaz, and Emad Sharghi.  See “Iran nuclear talks seen as best chance to free US detainees,” Laura Kelly, The Hill, July 2, 2021.

“Iran’s New President and a Duplicitous Claim About Press Freedom,” Nisan Ahmado, Polygraph.info, July 2, 2021.

Solid story about the problems and opportunities of PM Kadhimi trying to help his country be independent of Iran and the Regime.  “Analysis:  Iraq Is Trying to Escape the Iranian Cage,” Zvi Bar’el, op-ed, Haaretz, July 2, 2021.

“Meet Iran’s US-sanctioned new judiciary chief,” Al Monitor, July 2, 2021.  Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei named Gholam Hossein Mohseni Ejei the new judiciary chief.

“What Iran’s Failed Satellite Launch Likely Signals,” Peter Brookes, op-ed, Heritage, July 2, 2021.

“As U.S. Leaves Bagram Air Base, Russia, Iran and China Weigh Options in Afghanistan,” Tom O’Connor, USNWR, July 2, 2021.

“Dozens of human rights violations in Iran’s Kurdish areas: watchdog,” Layal Shakir, Rudaw, July 2, 2021.