Russia saves US from bad Iran deal after Biden alienates Middle East allies

 Red States:

For the last several weeks, reports of a new JCPOA “nuclear” deal with Iran being imminent have surfaced. Even as Russia invaded Ukraine, the United States was said to be forging ahead, with an announcement to be made any day. That despite the fact that Russia itself was the chief mediator.

But this is Joe Biden we are talking about, so he even managed to find a way to fail at an objectively bad thing, and not for lack of trying. Iran deal negotiations have been suspended after Russia demanded sanctions relief in return for an agreement.

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The rupture follows escalating tensions between the Kremlin and the White House. Russia warned on Saturday that it wanted U.S. guarantees that sanctions imposed over its invasion of Ukraine wouldn’t affect its planned partnership with Iran.

Specifically, Russia wants all of its business with Iran to be exempt from any US-EU sanctions going forward. Apparently, the administration was naive enough to believe they could make a deal brokered by Vladimir Putin without having to give up the farm in the process. I’m just glad the “adults” are back in charge, though.

What makes this especially infuriating is not that it looks like a new Iran deal is on the ropes. Obviously, in the main, that’s a good thing. Empowering Iran (and Russia) in exchange for essentially nothing of value was always a ridiculous pursuit. There’s a reason Israel, who would actually be under threat from a nuclear Iran, is opposed to any such deal.

Still, it’s mind-numbing to watch Biden fail so spectacularly again while Americans are left holding the bag. The administration gave away so much to try to re-enter the Iran deal. That includes isolating Saudi Arabia and the UAE, who we now are begging to pump more oil. Biden went so far as to delist the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen as a terrorist group, a move that has only led to more bloodshed. Further, because the administration blew up relations with the Arab nations to appease Iran, they are now legitimizing the Maduro regime in Venezuela in another attempt to secure more oil.

In short, Biden’s failure isn’t that he didn’t secure an Iran deal (though not for lack of trying), an objectively good thing. His failure is that he gave up so much attempting to secure that stupid, pointless deal. Now, Americans don’t even get the side-benefit of cheaper oil via sanctions being lifted on Iran, and it’s unlikely the Saudis will warm up to Biden anytime soon given they won’t even take his calls at this point.

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And Biden probably wonders why he can't get anyone in the Middle East to return his phone calls are accept a meeting on increasing their production of oil and gas to replace the production he is blocking in the US.  There appears to be no one in this administration willing to tell Bideh how bad his ideas are.