Opinion

Any new Iran deal should be judged by results, not victory-lap rhetoric

America demonstrated overwhelming military power in this war. Iran demonstrated political endurance

By Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, (ret.) Fox News

Published May 26, 2026 7:00am EDT | Updated May 26, 2026 5:00am EDT

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Rep. Brian Mast defends Trump’s Iran approach, says he won't take a ‘token deal’

Fox News correspondent Jeff Paul reports on the state of U.S.-Iran negotiations. Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., analyzes President Donald Trump’s foreign policy strategy and reflects on the meaning of Memorial Day on ‘Fox & Friends.’

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President Trump will present the emerging Iran agreement as vindication of peace through strength. He will argue that American military power forced Tehran to the negotiating table, blocked a nuclear Iran and ended months of choking instability in the Strait of Hormuz.

He is not wrong about the military record. But wars are not judged by the speeches that launch them. They are judged by the conditions they leave behind. That is the standard Carl von Clausewitz set — and it is the standard that must be applied to whatever Washington is about to sign.

What the Military Achieved

America and Israel achieved undeniable battlefield results. Iranian air defenses were degraded, missile sites struck, naval capabilities weakened and key IRGC leaders killed. Tehran’s proxy networks sustained significant setbacks. The operation demonstrated overwhelming U.S.–Israeli military superiority.

Militarily, Iran paid a steep price. Battlefield dominance and strategic success are not the same thing.

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The Deal Taking Shape

Trump declared Saturday that a deal reopening the Strait of Hormuz was "largely negotiated." The framework centers on an immediate opening of the strait in exchange for lifting the U.S. naval blockade, followed by 60 days of nuclear negotiations. The draft memorandum of understanding, according to Axios, commits Iran to never pursuing nuclear weapons and to negotiating a suspension of its enrichment........

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