Remember when Iran was part of the “axis of evil”?
Ask that simple question of most anyone, and you’d likely get one of two answers:
1) “Sure, it wasn’t so long ago.”
2) “What do you mean ’was’? It still is.”
Those who were looking for, and hoping for, a new Iran after the landmark multinational agreement that was meant to see the rogue nation curb its nuclear ambitions in exchange for the lifting of economic sanctions, can only have been disappointed by Iran’s recent actions. Rather than at least pretending that it is prepared to change its ways in advance of implementation of key parts of the July accord, Iran has been launching test missiles and talking trash.
President Barack Obama, who bet big on the nuke pact and wants badly to see it succeed, had circulated a draft of a new set of sanctions against Iranian entities involved in the ballistic missile tests. In response, Iran stepped up its rhetoric even as the White House pulled back.
Is the nuclear deal in jeopardy over the latest turn of events? Though there is no easy way to say, it is at least on less stable footing than it had been.
Think things are settled? Consider the following:
On Wednesday morning, the White House notified Congress that the Treasury Department would, at 10:30 a.m., announce a new round of economic sanctions. But at a little after 11 a.m., a second White House e-mail said the announcement had been pushed back by a couple of hours. And then, a third notification, sent after 10 p.m., said:
“We are considering various aspects related to additional designations, as well as evolving diplomatic work that is consistent with our national security interests, and as such we will not be announcing any additional designations today.”
In plain English: We ain’t doing nothing.
No one is surprised when Iran sends mixed messages. What President Hassan Rouhani wants isn’t necessarily the same as what’s at the top of supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s agenda.
What we should not be seeing, however, is the White House following Iran’s lead, first saying this, then saying that, and then something else again.
Peace through confusion is not a plan.

Republican Editorials – January 01, 2016