Amid reports of “progress” in nuclear negotiations between the Trump administration and Iran, it’s wise to issue a word of caution: don’t be fooled. While the new Iranian president-elect, Masoud Pezeshkian—a Western-educated heart surgeon—may appear more polished and pragmatic than his hardline predecessor, nothing in Iran’s structure of power has changed. The Ayatollah still pulls the strings. And history shows that betting on Iran’s honesty is like trusting a fox to guard the henhouse. This isn’t our first diplomatic rodeo with Iran. For more than two decades, Iran has consistently misled international inspectors, stalled for time, and pressed forward on uranium enrichment behind closed doors. Tap the brakes.
According to Politico, Pezeshkian campaigned on moderation and negotiation, appealing to young Iranians frustrated with repression and economic decay. Fox News reports that he favors renewed dialogue with the West on nuclear issues, projecting a softer image than Iran’s Revolutionary Guard-approved elite. His power, however, is limited. Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, retains absolute authority over military and foreign policy, including nuclear weapons development. Former UN nuclear chief Mohamed ElBaradei admitted in 2008 that efforts to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons had been a “failure”. And long before that, in 2005, his own agency was found asleep at the switch, failing to notice that Iran had acquired bomb designs and enrichment centrifuges via the Pakistani nuclear black market.
Instead of acting decisively, ElBaradei then called for more “cooperation” and “goodwill”—giving Iran exactly what it wanted: time. That time, plus Barak Obama’s failed nuclear deal with Iran, Joe Biden’s feckless leadership that curried only disrespect, and ongoing UN International Atomic Energy Agency ineptitude, has allowed Iran to develop its nuclear program unabated. Iran continues to fund proxy militias, from Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen. It remains on the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terror. This isn’t just a rogue nation looking to “go nuclear” for energy independence. It’s a radical Islamic regime bent on regional dominance and the destruction of Israel. It’s leaders say so repeatedly.
From a prophetic lens, Iran’s rise fits like a puzzle piece in the Ezekiel 38 picture. Scripture identifies Persia (modern-day Iran) as a key player in a future end time coalition with Magog (Turkey) and others against Israel. Iran’s alignment with Turkey today only reinforces the groundwork for that prophetic alliance. The Word of God warns us to watch for these alliances in the latter days, and we are watching them take shape in real time. The Trump team would do well to remember that even well-meaning diplomats can be duped. The admirable Trump team zeal to win peace is up against an equally dark zeal of terrorists who hate Israel and the West. As Psalm 146:3 reminds us: “Put not your trust in princes, nor in a son of man, in whom there is no help.” The lesson: don’t trust a regime that has never honored its word. Verify everything.
Sources:
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iranian-president-calls-negotiation-dialogue-nuclear-talks-continue
