We will never be able to unsee the monster Trump revealed on Tuesday morning with his genocidal threat to destroy Iran’s “civilization.”

The tried and true techniques Trump has employed in the past to change the subject from his manifold past failures and catastrophes will not work in this case.

Certainly, the sham ceasefire cooked up at the last minute to create the illusion of sufficient progress to warrant calling off Trump’s planned apocalypse will not do the trick.

It was obvious from the start it was a face-saving measure designed to create the illusion of agreement between the U.S. and Iran in a way that would enable both sides to claim victory.

In reality, of course, there was no agreement except to pretend to agree.

Within moments of the so-called deal’s announcement, it was being violated. Within minutes, it was clear that the Iranian 10-point plan Trump said would be the basis for the deal was both a major win for Iran and at the same time, was, almost point-by-point, contrary to Trump’s stated objectives and positions.

Within hours, outrage at the new leverage the deal gave Iran over the Strait of Hormuz grew among members of both parties in the U.S. and among our friends throughout the Middle East and nations worldwide. It was also apparent that Israel was not a party to the discussions and that it would, contrary to the “deal,” continue its onslaught in Lebanon.

By Wednesday, on points from the future of Iran’s enriched uranium to whether Lebanon was even part of a deal, the degree of differences between the sides grew—as did the possibility of the entire thing breaking down before the two-week break that was announced Tuesday had expired.

In short, the last-minute “agreement” was a sham wrapped in a deception, placed inside an avalanche of lies.

The only part of it that seemed to be holding—that Iran would be able to control the strait and cash in........

© The Daily Beast