Joe SLAMS Trump’s Iran deal for being WORSE than the Obama Iran deal

[0:00] This temporary deal we've reached and we don't really know exactly what's in it. My concern is [0:08] if you look at the language of the deal on nukes, which Donald Trump said this is why he was fighting [0:14] the war, it is identical, as in plagiarized, as in lifted straight off of Obama's deal. [0:23] They used the same words. They lifted it off of the Obama deal and put it on this deal, [0:30] on nukes. So the whole idea that Obama was weak on nukes and he's going to be tougher, [0:35] if you even read the language of this memorandum of agreement, it's identical. [0:41] Then you can talk about the... Okay, well, here's Obama's. Iran affirms that under no circumstances [0:47] will Iran ever seek, develop, or acquire any nuclear weapons. That's July 14th, 2015. [0:54] Republicans melted down. Donald Trump said it was the worst plan ever that Iran was going to get a [0:59] nuclear weapon because of this deal. And this is what Donald Trump says. Iran cannot develop [1:06] or purchase a nuclear weapon. And actually, it's actually closer than that. I will get it. [1:18] But it's the identical language. And then you have Donald Trump saying, oh, the strait will be open [1:23] forever, for free. Well, no, that's not what the Iranians are saying. There's a 60-day period. [1:28] And then they expect to start receiving tolls. Regime change, the president had said earlier that [1:34] we had regime change. Now he's saying he doesn't care about regime change. This regime [1:40] tougher than the one before, which was pretty bad. And you can just go down the list of what I'm [1:50] waiting for, talking about the other shoe to drop, is there going to really be reconstruction money [1:57] for the Islamic Republic of Iran? That sure sounds like it. What's this sanctions relief look like? [2:06] Because the Trump team told me that giving, that Biden giving sanctions relief to the Iranians [2:14] was the worst thing he ever did. So again, a lot of confusing things. I hope we have us a good, [2:22] solid deal that keeps Iran contained. Right now, I'm seeing nothing in here that would do that. But [2:29] maybe you can assure me that I haven't read deep enough into the Memorandum of Understanding. [2:35] So, Joe, it's always a good thing when a conflict ends. This is one that's really harmed the global [2:42] economy. So if the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, and that seems to be the basic top line of this [2:49] deal, that will be a good thing for the global economy. It is a long way to go for what appears [2:56] to be very little in terms of locked in promises from Iran. It does look very similar to the JCPOA, [3:06] which Trump scrapped. Some of the provisions may even be somewhat weaker. It's hard to tell [3:14] because we're just going to begin those negotiations this week and over the next 60 days. [3:21] But I think in some ways, the thing that's most important, but seems most unrealistic in this deal [3:30] is this idea of a broad change in the Middle East process where the U.S. over time, if Iran responds [3:39] positively, begins to pump development money, not just reconstruction, but to build Iranian [3:47] businesses and has a vision for Iran becoming over time a country more like Saudi Arabia and the United [3:54] Arab Emirates than like the very closed and really impoverished country it's been. If they can do that, [4:02] if the Iranians are really prepared to make those changes, that would be a significant move into the [4:08] future. But right now, in terms of what's actually agreed, actually on paper, it's pretty thin. The [4:14] main achievement is one that I don't want to discount, opening the Strait of Hormuz. But otherwise, not a lot [4:20] there yet. Yeah. Yeah. And let me say, if by some miracle, and it would truly be a miracle going back [4:31] to 1979, this deal somehow brought Iran into the League of Nations, how wonderful that would be. [4:40] Also, if the Atlanta Falcons win the next 10 Super Bowls, what a wonderful, wonderful run that [4:46] will be for all of us who've been suffering with Atlanta since, well, before 1979. But Richard Haass, [4:53] I want to read you now. I have the exact language. Here is the language in the understanding that was [5:01] signed. Iran affirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop, or acquire any nuclear [5:10] weapons. Got that? That sounds pretty tough. Here is a preamble to the 2015 JCPOA that Trump tore up. [5:21] Iran affirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop, or acquire any nuclear weapons. [5:30] You are literally looking at the same exact words. And as far as the Strait goes, Donald Trump says, [5:38] well, it's going to be toll-free forever. No, no, that's not what the Iranians believe. They believe [5:45] that after 60 days, they're going to be able to start charging insurance, start charging other fees. [5:50] That's at least what they're saying. And regime change, we've all talked about it. The regime [5:58] is actually more hardened. They're angrier. They have more of a reason to seek and build out their [6:05] military capabilities than they did before, because the United States did attack. I guess my question is, [6:12] can you find a single area where, if you look at the Strait, if you look at regime change, if you look at nukes, [6:20] where we are in a better position today than we were under Barack Obama's deal before the war? [6:26] The short answer, I'm sorry to say, Joe, is no. And let's just break it into those three parts. [6:32] Yes. The Strait, yes, will be reopened. That's a good thing. But you'd have to believe in the [6:38] tooth fairy to think it will remain open unconditionally to all without a toll. I think [6:44] it's a question of when, not if. Not only do the Iranians start adding a toll, but at some point, [6:49] they'll deny access. Just say there's a new crisis with Israel and a country is shipping arms to Israel. [6:55] I expect it's quite possible that Iran will close the Strait to ships carrying oil or goods to that [7:02] country. So that's one thing. On the nuclear, where you read the language, it's not just that [7:08] it's similar. That is nothing more than a statement of intention. And as we've learned over the years [7:14] in arms control, what really matters is not statements of intention, it's capabilities. [7:19] So the real question with the nuclear is, what is Iran going to sign up to? [7:25] And can it be verified? And there's been a remarkable lack of conversation here [7:30] about the verification capabilities. What about international inspectors? [7:34] What kind of information is Iran going to be required to provide on a regular basis [7:39] so inspectors have the access they need? And so there's that entire detailed area. [7:45] And then last, the people of Iran are really among the big losers here. Why? Because we're going to [7:51] be transferring enormous sums of money. Either we're going to release frozen assets, ease sanctions. [7:58] Iran is going to make a lot of money. That's going to shore up, as you said, Joe, this even harder line [8:03] regime. So I actually think the Iran is going to be farther away from the kind of broad systemic [8:10] regime change that actually it wasn't that far away from before this war broke out. [8:15] Yeah. You know, Jonathan, it's one of the many reasons why Israel is so dead set against this. [8:21] What they see is an enraged Iran with more radical leadership. You have the Revolutionary Guard [8:29] now running it. And the almost hardened elements of the Revolutionary Guard. [8:34] They believe, and as Richard said, everybody around these talks believe that 60 days in, [8:41] they're going to start charging tolls. And then you look at the sanctions relief they're going to get, [8:47] which again, Trump administration, as you know, constantly berated Joe Biden's administration [8:56] for lifting sanctions against Iran from time to time. They're going to do it. And we have talk [9:03] of reconstruction if Iran behaves well down the road. I mean, as Richard said, and again, [9:12] the devil's in the details. We're really glad there's a possibility that this war, which should [9:18] have never started, comes to an end. But let's just tell it like it is. If people want to be lied to, [9:26] go to another channel, because I can tell you which channel to go to. They will be lying through [9:31] your teeth to you right now, telling you how wonderful this is. But if you want to know the [9:35] truth of what's happening right here, the fact is, Jonathan, people in the neighborhood around Iran [9:45] have every reason to be scared to death right now, because this is a more radical, a more enraged, [9:52] and soon to be richer Iran, thanks to this war. Yeah, we'll tell it like it is. This is a defeat [10:00] for the United States. Iran is stronger now than they were at the beginning of the war. [10:05] We heard, how often do we hear, not just of President Trump complaining about the sanction [10:09] relief that the Biden administration gave Iran, but think about all the pallets of cash, [10:13] you know, that he would blast the Obama team for sending Tehran. That's going to be dwarfed [10:17] by the amount of money that's likely going there now. On the Strait of Hormuz, not only is A, [10:23] after 60 days, Iran has indicated they believe they'll charge for tolls, but B, [10:27] despite President Trump's celebration last night about the strait being open and free for everyone [10:32] to use, A, obviously that's temporary, but also it already was before the war. That was the status [10:38] quo. That's how things existed. He made things worse. We now have a hardline regime embittered, [10:44] and certainly no reason to ever trust the United States again, because we keep bombing them [10:49] during the midst of negotiations. Let's think about the cost here, not just the billions upon [10:54] billions in terms of dollars the United States spent, but also the lives lost, you know, civilians, [10:59] including a girl's school in the first hours of the war. This is a significant, you know, [11:07] the United States looks significantly weaker right now in that region than before, and Iran's ability [11:12] to close the Strait of Hormuz and hit its neighbors seems, you know, unchecked.