Today, a tale of three cities, first from DC:  How goes the Memorandum of Understanding between the USA and Iran?  Some Republican anguish from Time Magazine. ....many Republicans are more nervous than relieved over the deal. Senator Bill Cassidy, a Louisiana Republican, called it “the worst foreign policy blunder in decades." Nikki Haley, Trump’s former ambassador to the United Nations, said of the deal: “If this is true, Iran wins.”   Former MAGA stalwart Marjorie Taylor Greene was perhaps the most Trumpian in her reaction, echoing the President’s criticism of Obama’s deal more than a decade ago.   “$300 BILLION DOLLARS TO IRAN??!!! Trump agreed to give Iran $300 BILLION dollars for reconstruction cost after Trump bombed Iran. Are you kidding me? What an embarrassment! Americans are getting screwed again!!” she wrote on X .  In New York City, the Knicks got a ticker-tape parade . Can you remember back to 1973?  The USA finally got kicked out of Vietn...

About Donald Trump and the Iran War, not exactly a deal, but an agreement to spend the next 60 days in ceasefire, while negotiators argue about possible long-term peace, nuclear matters, money, Strait of Hormuz and so forth. As I mentioned yesterday, there will be a signing of the memorandum of agreement on Friday in Geneva by Veep JD Vance and Iran's Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.   This event is being hosted by Pakistan, with key mediators like Qatar in attendance. Israel will not sign and is therefore not bound by the terms of the MoA.  Thus, the war in Lebanon will be a particularly sensitive matter through the upcoming talks. The Strait of Hormuz will not be completely open from Friday. It will take a month or so for mine clearing operations. Details on shipping insurance will need to be worked out. Will there be a toll?  Trump insists no, but Iran disagrees. The G7 nations leaders are in the France Alps, Evian-les-Bains .   Here is a vi...