Designed to deceive
MARC CAPUTO: Three unnamed Trump administration officials hosted a call from the White House yesterday. They gave the media a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into the Iran talks & why President Trump ordered strikes when he did.
Senior Official 1 laid out the case for why Iran is and was a threat and how the U.S. believed Iran was planning to strike first:
Official 1 said Trump ultimately had “no choice” and that Iran’s ballistic missile program was too much of a threat to US bases and allies in the region.
Official 2 said Iran refused to address terrorist “proxies.” The US, the official said, was “very blunt” in talks with Iran, which was “very very weak” from protests that it had brutally suppressed, a bad economy and damage from last year’s bombing campaign against their nuclear program.
Official 2 said Trump sent the US military to the region to show how serious he was, but Iran was not negotiating in good faith. Specifically, the official said, Iran rebuffed an offer of free nuclear fuel from the U.S. because Iran wanted to enrich uranium for military uses. That was a huge tell.
Official 3 said US intelligence showed how Iran was rebuilding its nuclear program after the Midnight Hammer strikes of last June —and how Iran’s own plan showed it sought “enrichment capability that was roughly five times more” than needed for civilian use.
Official 3 said the IR-6 centrifuges that Iran was making showed its commitment to enriching uranium. And, Official 3 said that the Tehran Research Reactor (which wasn’t hit in June) was part of a program “designed to deceive” the outside world regarding Iran’s nuclear weapons program:
Official 2 closed by summing up the mindset of the Trump White House:
“One of the rules of deal-making is that you have to know very quickly if there’s a deal to do or not - [but the US] was met with games, tricks, stall-tactics.”
If you enjoy my articles, please consider making a donation. This is what one of my readers had to say about my work. Thank you!
My work is free for all but supported by donations from many generous readers like Sparky. Thank you to all who have donated in the past. I truly appreciate you!
How can you donate? In many ways: You can fund me by becoming a paid subscriber on Substack, donate by credit or debit card here or by Cash App at $TierneyRealNews, send me a check to Peggy Tierney, PO Box 242, Spooner, Wisconsin 54801- or just send me a note or a card! I love hearing from you.
If you use the Substack app to read my newsletters - please make sure you check your settings so that you receive it BOTH by email and in the app. I don’t want you to miss a newsletter!
You can always email me at peggy@TierneyRealNewsNetwork.com. Please follow me on Telegram at t.me/TierneyRealNews. Follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100079025148615. Or you can find me on Truth Social @MaggiePeggy123.