US News Metro Long Island Politics

Sports NFL MLB Olympics NBA NHL College Football College Basketball WNBA

Business Personal Finance

Entertainment TV Movies Music Celebrities Awards Theater

Lifestyle Weird But True Sex & Relationships Viral Trends Human Interest Parenting Fashion & Beauty Food & Drink Travel

Health Wellness Fitness Health Care Medicine Men’s Health Women’s Health Mental Health Nutrition

Science Space Environment Wildlife Archaeology

Today’s Paper Covers Columnists Horoscopes Crosswords & Games Sports Odds Podcasts Careers

Email Newsletters Official Store Home Delivery Tips

Trump has made his plans for Iran clear — make a deal or be dealt with

It’s been 20 years since Henry Kissinger made the insightful observation that Iran had to decide whether it is a cause or a country.

Much of the world is still waiting for the answer, with President Trump among the most eager.

Whatever the answer, he is determined to get it now.

Since he first took office in 2017, Trump has been pushing the Islamist regime to end its quest for nuclear weapons and stop funding terrorist proxy groups throughout the region, including Hamas and Hezbollah.

In his first term, he showed he meant business by boldly eliminating the mullahs’ top terror commander, Qassem Soleimani, with a drone attack.

The move is among those that mark a clear dividing line between Trump and both his predecessor and successor. Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden shared the delusion that Iran could be coaxed — and bribed with incentives and pallets of cash — into becoming a normal nation instead of a cancerous merchant of death and destruction.

More From Michael Goodwin

Michael Goodwin: Mayor Mamdani is NYC’s Mr. Freeze – and his cold-hearted approach is costing homeless people their lives

Michael Goodwin: The Democratic Party we once knew is dead

Michael Goodwin: The Clintons knew Team Trump was coming — and waved the white flag over Epstein

Events have proven them wrong, which is why Trump in his second term again sees the necessity of military action.

The proof came last June, when seven B-2 stealth bombers flew all the way from Missouri to hit Iran’s three main underground nuclear enrichment facilities with 30,000-pound bunker–buster bombs.

But the madman Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, despite having no way to stop the attack because Israel had destroyed Iran’s air defense operations, still doesn’t get the point.

We know that because the nuclear sites are being repaired, and the regime extended its malignant rule by slaughtering thousands of civilian protesters last month.

The protesters’ sin was to complain about a collapsing economy, corruption, shortages of water and electricity and rampant inflation.

Trump clearly was moved by the brutality, and promised the protesters that “help is on its way.” He didn’t act, however, and I believe he made the right choice not to intervene militarily, considering the facts at the time.

Chief among those was that regional allies, both Arab states and Israel, along with our own military commanders, were concerned about how the Iranian military would retaliate, and none of them believed their defenses were adequately prepared.

Another concern for Trump was that a sudden collapse of the regime could lead to regional chaos, ranging from millions of refugees to revenge attacks against tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. That’s a favorite route for oil exports, which account for as much as 50% of the Gulf states’ revenues.

Still, despite the president’s patience, events have produced an unstable stalemate, all the more so because a new round of negotiations with Iran has stalled. The effort to clarify whether the mullahs are willing to make a nuclear deal or not is why Trump is again turning up the heat on them.

He announced Friday that he is sending a second aircraft carrier into the Middle East.

The USS Gerald R. Ford, the world’s largest and most advanced carrier, is moving from the Caribbean and will join an armada of about a dozen other warships already in the region, including the Abraham Lincoln carrier group.

The Ford carries dozens of fighters and surveillance aircraft, which would allow commanders to carry out airstrikes more often and at a faster rate.

The Lincoln, a supercarrier, is equipped with Tomahawk missiles, and its aircraft can reportedly project power across the globe.

Additionally, the US has sent aircraft and air-defense systems to our military bases throughout the region to counter any Iranian retaliation strikes that use short and medium-range missiles.

The major increase of our military presence shows that Trump is close to the end of his patience with the regime’s stalling tactics, a view he reinforced in a comment to reporters. Asked why he sent the second carrier group, he answered, “In case we don’t make a deal, we’ll need” more firepower.

He added another dimension to the planning when he was asked if he now favored “regime change in Iran.” He quickly answered, “Well, it seems like that would be the best thing that could happen,” adding, “For 47 years, they’ve been talking and talking and talking.”

The heightened responses follow a White House meeting Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Reports from Israel had predicted that Netanyahu would urge Trump to move faster toward a resolution with Iran, and to focus on its ballistic missiles, which are an immediate threat to Israeli population centers, as well as the nuclear sites.

The president followed the meeting by writing on social media that “there was nothing definitive reached other than I insisted that negotiations with Iran continue.”

To his credit, Trump has been consistent in publicly emphasizing his desire to forge a peaceful settlement, but also has been clear that he is prepared to use the military option if all else fails.

If there is no agreement and Trump decides to attack, officials have said he will then decide whether to hit both Iran’s nuclear program and its ballistic missile facilities.

The long-term danger of the nuke program is obvious, but the ballistic missiles pose immediate and serious threats. In fact, some observers believe Iran’s large supply of long-range missiles are capable of reaching major cities on the East Coast of the US.

That would fit with the mullahs’ designation of Israel as the “little satan” and America as the “great satan.”

However, Iran has insisted through mediators that the talks with Trump be confined to its nuclear program, and said it will not give up or even discuss its ballistic missile arsenal.

Coming on top of their previous refusal to scrap the nuke program, the mullahs are acting as if they have the upper hand on everything.

They don’t, and with Israel and the US acting together, their mistake could prove to be fatal.

That would be their just deserts.

Kirsten Fleming Mamdani DSA aide's petulant airline tweets show us what Champagne socialists are made of

Mamdani DSA aide's petulant airline tweets show us what Champagne socialists are made of

Rich Lowry Olympian Eileen Gu's decision to snub US and ski for China is nothing short of a hypocrisy

Olympian Eileen Gu's decision to snub US and ski for China is nothing short of a hypocrisy

Douglas Murray Following the law is the only sensible way to address the illegal immigration mess

Following the law is the only sensible way to address the illegal immigration mess

Front Cover Back Cover

Trending Now on NYPost.com

This story has been shared 156,432 times. 156,432 Sheriff in Nancy Guthrie search expects 'lot of police activity' — as neighbor of raided home reveals who lives there

Sheriff in Nancy Guthrie search expects 'lot of police activity' — as neighbor of raided home reveals who lives there

This story has been shared 45,562 times. 45,562 Nancy Guthrie kidnapper's possible looks revealed by forensic artist after reviewing surveillance footage

Nancy Guthrie kidnapper's possible looks revealed by forensic artist after reviewing surveillance footage

This story has been shared 33,722 times. 33,722 Four questioned in Nancy Guthrie investigation have been released

Four questioned in Nancy Guthrie investigation have been released

Meghan Markle shares rare look at daughter Lilibet's face in photo with Prince Harry: 'Forever Valentines'

Sheriff in Nancy Guthrie search expects 'lot of police activity' — as neighbor of raided home reveals who lives there

Sections & Features US News Metro World News Sports Sports Betting Business Opinion Entertainment Fashion & Beauty Shopping Lifestyle Real Estate Media Tech Science Health Travel Astrology Video Photos Alexa Covers Horoscopes Sports Odds Podcasts Crosswords & Games Columnists Classifieds

Post Sports+ Subscribe Articles Manage

Newsletters & Feeds Email Newsletters RSS Feeds NY Post Official Store Home Delivery Subscribe Manage Subscription Delivery Help

NY Post Official Store

Home Delivery Subscribe Manage Subscription

Help/Support About New York Post Editorial Standards New York Post Awards & Recognition Customer Service Apps Help Community Guidelines Contact Us Tips Newsroom Letters to the Editor Licensing & Reprints Careers Vulnerability Disclosure Program

New York Post Awards & Recognition

Contact Us Tips Newsroom Letters to the Editor Licensing & Reprints Careers Vulnerability Disclosure Program

Letters to the Editor

Vulnerability Disclosure Program

Apps iPhone App iPad App Android Phone Android Tablet

Advertise Media Kit Contact

© New York Post