‘I Helped Sell Obama’s Iran Deal. Its Critics Owe Us All an Explanation.’ (Op-Ed, July 2)
Mr. Rabinowitz’s spirited defense and advocacy of the negotiated Iran deal of 2015 (JCPOA) in which he played a significant role consists of a clever cherry-picked revision of history. He is, however, on solid ground in his criticism of President Donald Trump’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOA), which I believe reveals a critical weakness in Trump’s whole approach. This is because his entire adult life was devoted to negotiating and reaching the elusive perfect deal. After all, he wrote his only book about it. One problem with this tactic is, sometimes it’s simply not possible. You can’t make a deal with entrenched evil, nor

can you negotiate with cancer.
This MOA is deeply flawed but one thing it is not is a “done deal,” and it clearly leaves many options open. The glaring distinction here with the JCPOA is that Iran in 2015 was ascendant and on the march. In 2026, Iran is in significant retreat, gravely wounded, and as a result of combined U.S. and Israeli military action has only a small percentage of its former power.

The nuclear threat is all but eliminated. Mr. Rabinowitz’s “I told you so” gloat is quite premature.

Ronald H. Beifeld, Conshohocken

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