The Patriot Post® · Iran's Latest Violation Is Hardly Surprising

A bicycle mishap resulted in Secretary of State John Kerry breaking his leg over the weekend in Switzerland, where he was continuing efforts to finalize a nuclear framework with Iranian delegates before the deadline at month’s end. Kerry’s accident is no laughing matter, but it is a fitting metaphor for this administration’s fractured concept of foreign policy. World powers have until June 30 to unanimously sign off on a nuclear deal that, at best, would only temporarily restrict Iran’s ability to develop radioactive warheads. Meanwhile, Iran continues to secretly develop and stockpile nuclear-grade material, which the administration erroneously claimed wasn’t happening. The latest violation? According to The New York Times, “[I]nternational inspectors have reported that Tehran’s stockpile of nuclear fuel increased about 20 percent over the last 18 months of negotiations, partially undercutting the Obama administration’s contention that the Iranian program had been ‘frozen’ during that period.”

The Times suggests the revelation is shrouded in mystery, ambiguously suggesting that “Western officials and experts cannot quite figure out why.” It speculates, “One possibility is that Iran has run into technical problems that have kept it from converting some of its enriched uranium into fuel rods for reactors, which would make the material essentially unusable for weapons. Another is that it is increasing its stockpile to give it an edge if the negotiations fail.” Realistically, the truth isn’t so obscure. The bottom line is that Iranian leaders aren’t interested in reaching a deal; negotiations can go on forever for all they care. The Left, on the other hand, unreasonably presumes Iran is coming to the table in good faith. It’s not, and that’s the problem. Regardless of whether or not a deal is reached, Iran will continue to inch ever closer to manufacturing a nuclear weapon. The biggest danger is an administration that trusts a terrorist regime based on what’s written on a piece of paper.