Absolutely. I wrote repeatedly in six op-eds that the U.S. must get out of the JCPOA. And Pres. Trump deserves much credit for standing up to the world and Iran by doing so and paving a way for peace chances in the Middle East. See “Outgoing Trump Iran envoy: Withdrawal from Iran deal led to Israel-UAE accord,” Jacob Kornbluh, Jewish Insider, August 18, 2020. Brian Hook, the outgoing State Department special representative for Iran, suggested on Tuesday that the U.S. withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran opened a path to broker the normalization deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates last week. “When you have the wrong Iran strategy, it is impossible to get peace agreements between Gulf nations and Israel because they don’t trust you,” Hook said during a webinar hosted by United Against Nuclear Iran. “And there’s no question that the nations in the Gulf and Israel viewed the Iran nuclear deal as a betrayal.” Hook maintained that President Donald Trump’s decision in 2018 to walk away from the international accord agreed to by the Obama administration “restored the trust” with its allies. “That was a necessary precondition to being in a position to get a peace agreement signed,” Hook explained. “When you get your run strategy right, it also creates a better environment for other good things to happen. And you saw that last week when we were able to broker a peace agreement between the U.A.E. and Israel.”
“How Iran tried to bribe Taliban operatives with bounties on US soldiers, according to a former Taliban commander,” Mitch Prothero, Business Insider, August 18, 2020.
The Quds Force brokered a deal with the Haqqani network, a guerilla group associated with both Taliban and al Qaeda. And here’s a quote. “It’s normal in Afghanistan for such people to work together but I know Iran very well because I lived there, same with Pakistan and I knew that both consider Afghans to be dogs they can use for their plans and let die. Haqqani and al Qaeda tell everyone that the Iranians are [infidels] but they also arrange meetings for them with the Taliban. You cannot trust any of these people.”
“Iran sentences pastor, wife to prison for security crime of ‘Evangelism’,” Jerusalem Post, August 18, 2020. Authoritarianism is always challenged by Christians–those who believe in a Supreme Being and His higher law. “Iranian courts have sentenced Pastor Victor Bet-Tamraz to 10 years in prison for “conducting Evangelism” and “illegal house church activities,” while his wife Shamiram Isavi was given a five-year sentence for “membership of a group with the purpose of disrupting national security” and “gathering and colluding to commit crimes against national security.””
“Iran’s hard-liners push legislation to exit nuclear deal,” Al Monitor, August 18, 2020.
“The Secretary-General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf, Dr. Nayef Falah Mubarak Al Hajraf, has expressed his condemnation of the threats of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani and some Iranian officials towards the UAE, which carry serious repercussions on the security and stability of the Gulf region, and are inconsistent with diplomatic norms, local media reported. Al Hajraf demanded that Iran adhere to the basic principles, principles and pillars of the United Nations Charter and the international law, which are based on respect for state sovereignty, non-interference in internal affairs, resolving disputes by peaceful means, and not using or threatening to use force.” See “GCC tells Iran that Gulf security is ‘red line’,” Samir Salama, Gulf News, August 18, 2020.
“US, Israel Readying Their Stealth F-35 Jets If Iran Procures S-400s From Russia,” EurAsian Times, August 18, 2020.
“Coronavirus costs Iran’s tourism $2.8b so far, minister says,” Tehran Times, August 18, 2020.
It is hard to tell what Russia has extracted from Iran by the reporting in this piece. But Iran does receive some equipment. “Iran, Russia ink MOU on mining cooperation,” Tehran Times, August 18, 2020.
“Iran denies Taliban were paid bounties to target US troops,” AP, Journal Courier, August 18, 2020. So we’ve got another “it either happened or it didn’t.” FM spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said the claims were “entirely false.”
“Tribunal Convicts Hezbollah Member in Hariri Assassination, Acquits Three Others,” Jared Malsin, Wall Street Journal, August 18, 2020.