Now that nuclear talks with Iran have begun, it behooves Americans to ask whether the president is willing to compromise to get a deal and claim a victory or whether his threats to act militarily if Iran doesn’t dismantle its nuclear program are real or theatre. A third possibility is the most effective path to an enforceable agreement is only after a military strike when Trump will have maximum leverage.

The last deal, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action negotiated by former President Barack Obama in 2015, legitimized the world’s leading state sponsor of terror’s right to enrich uranium, which was unprecedented. Reports say the Trump administration may have already accepted Iran’s right to a civilian nuclear program.

According to his special envoy, Steve Witkoff, he is looking for a verifiable deal, not to dismantle the atomic program. That is a hard sell to our Israeli allies, who uncovered Iran’s nuclear archive in 2018, revealing the regime’s longstanding desire and ability to create nuclear weapons despite the protestations to the contrary of the supreme leader and isolationist American think tanks.

For Trump, a new and improved Iranian agreement is a tantalizing brass ring to wave over the heads of the despised Obama administration. For the Israelis, how enforceable and strong the deal is will be a life and death question.

So, to whom does the president listen? It has been said that the last person in the room is the one who leaves a lasting impression and has the most influence on Trump. But who will be in that room, and what will Trump hear?

Trump prioritizes loyalty, and his Iran representative, Steve........

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