Untrustworthy? Thy name is America

 Untrustworthy? Thy name is America

 

How did JoAnn Lee Frank miss the eleven years of US untrustworthiness and duplicity that has marked US relations with Iran (Trib letter ‘Iranian regime untrustworthy’, June 16)?

 

She throws out ludicrous charges with nary a fact of substantiation. “The Iranian regime is not reliable. What it says and what it does are two different things. It has been consistent in lying, cheating and stalling for time. It will shake your hand and stabs you in the back at the same time.”

 

That applies to the US is spades. After the Obama administration achieved the Iran nuclear deal, (JCPOA), on July 14, 2015, Iran remained in full compliance with it till Trump withdraw from it on May 8, 2018. He viciously called The Iran nuclear deal “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.” He spent the remaining two years, eight months of his first term demonizing Iran as the great Satan, imposing crippling economic sanctions while doing nothing to renew the best diplomatic breakthrough in recent US history.

 

Back in office in January 2021, Trump conspired with Israel, not to negotiate a new nuclear treaty, but to overthrow the Iranian regime. In June 2025, Trump set another negotiating meeting with Iran three days out. Confident Trump was sincere, Iran let their guard down and got sucker punched with a massive US, Israeli bombing campaign. Iran punched back with a beefed-up missile defense. Trump caved, calling a ceasefire after 12 days.

 

But just 8 months later Trump tried again, launching an even more massive attack during negotiations beginning with assassinating Iranian leader Ali Khamenei. This one failed more spectacularly than the first as Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, spiraling the world into possible economic catastrophe. Trump bailed again after 39 days and is now on the cusp of an agreement giving Iran virtual complete victory.

 

As one Iranian source put it:  “Once again the US attacked while Iran was pursuing diplomacy. Once again diplomacy does not work with the terrorist state of the US.”

 

JoAnn Lee Frank needs to get her Iran war facts strait. And the Chicago Tribune needs to present them to its readership.

 

Walt Zlotow  West Suburban Peace Coalition  Glen Ellyn IL