Did Trump Just Versailles America?

Jun 19, 2026 | This week’s Elephant in the Room is Trump’s humiliation at Versailles. After months of threats, chest-thumping, and promises of strength against Iran, Trump arrived claiming leverage and left defending a deal that has critics asking whether America gained anything at all.

Rick Wilson breaks down the symbolism of Versailles, the political fallout of Trump’s Iran reversal, the growing cracks inside MAGA, and why this moment may be remembered as one of the defining foreign policy embarrassments of his presidency. History may not repeat itself, but it rhymes—and this week, the rhyme scheme sounded a lot like surrender.


Strong language alert!

US-Iran Agreement Leaves Israelis 'in Profound State of Shock' • FRANCE 24 English

Jun 18, 2026 | Israeli leaders are privately fuming about the US-Iran deal, seeing the initial agreement as a form of capitulation. This comes as a final blow to the increasingly fraying relationship between Netanyahu and Trump, previously thought thought to be iron-clad. FRANCE 24's Noga Tarnopolsky tells us more.

Vance Issues Blunt Warning to Israel as He Defends Trump’s Deal

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The vice president delivered a rebuke to Israeli critics of the agreement, warning them not to alienate their most important ally, as the administration sought to rebut mounting criticism of the deal.

Vice President JD Vance on Thursday delivered an extraordinarily direct rebuke to Israeli critics of the U.S.-Iran peace agreement, as he sought to defend the preliminary deal with repeated misrepresentations of some of its terms.

“Donald J. Trump is the only head of state in the entire world who is sympathetic to the nation of Israel at this moment in time,” Mr. Vance said. He added, “If I was in the cabinet of the Israeli government, I might not be attacking the only powerful ally that I have anywhere left in the entire world.”

The agreement has faced mounting criticism from Israeli lawmakers, as well as some Republicans in Washington, who argue that it gives Iran economic relief while punting negotiations on its nuclear program down the road.

The 60-day clock for the United States and Iran to negotiate the future of Iran’s nuclear program and other issues has begun, Mr. Vance said.

Not long after, Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, said in his first statement since the preliminary agreement was signed that Iran would not submit to “excessive demands,” according to Iranian state media.

“In-person negotiations that will take place in the future do not mean accepting the enemy’s view,” he said in the statement, which cast his country’s bargaining position as a strong one. Mr. Trump, he said, had struck a deal “out of desperation.”

Israel is not a party to the deal, and its fighting with Hezbollah, the Iran-backed militia in Lebanon, had threatened to derail the U.S.-Iran talks, to the increasing frustration of American officials. Mr. Vance’s barbed remarks from the White House came a day after President Trump himself admonished Israel over its military campaign.

Mr. Vance also reminded Israeli critics of the deal that, according to him, two-thirds of the weapons “that have protected your homeland” were American-made and paid for by Americans’ tax dollars. Iran War Live Updates » | Erica L. Green, Max Bearak, Jonathan Swan and Rebecca F. Elliott | Thursday, June 18, 2026

Donald Trump Is a Decrepit Narcissist Who Has Lost Control of Himself and His MAGA Coalition.

Steve Schmidt gives us the low down.

Trump Signs Iran Peace Plan, Claiming Deal Averts ‘Worldwide Depression’

THE GUARDIAN: Details of the 14-point agreement revealed as senior US officials claim ‘major win’ despite significant concessions to Tehran

This screenshot is from this Guardian article. | President Trump signs the memorandum of understanding with Iran at palace of Versailles. Photograph: The White House YouTube
Donald Trump has signed a 14-point agreement with Iran, claiming it delivered a “major win” for the United States – even as it made significant political and financial concessions to Iran to reopen the strait of Hormuz and prevent a “worldwide depression”.

In extraordinary remarks on Wednesday, Donald Trump went from threatening Iran with a new wave of attacks to suggesting the country had basic rights to enrich uranium for civilian use, that he would not pressure Tehran to abandon its ballistic missiles programme and the US was “going to have to give back” billions of dollars in frozen Iranian assets.

Those remarks, as well as the full text of the agreement – which was hailed by the Hezbollah chief, Naim Qassem, as a “great victory” – are likely to fuel anger in Israel and among hardliners in the Republican party who had urged Trump not to make a deal with Tehran.

Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian, signed the agreement on Wednesday from Tehran. The US vice-president, JD Vance, is also expected to sign the deal at a more formal ceremony in Geneva on Friday.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said: “The agreement is a record of US failure. People will see it and judge.”

Defending the deal, Trump said no US president had ever been as tough on Iran as him, and “there is nothing as smart as the market – and the market loves it”. » | Andrew Roth in Washington and Patrick Wintour in Évian-les-Bains | Thursday, June 18, 2026

If Trump really is averting a “worldwide depression” with this signing of the MOU, and one cannot doubt that the world was in danger of, and could still well be in danger of experiencing a worldwide depression, it will/would be a depression of Trump and Netanyahu’s own making!

Fact is, Trump has LOST this war for America and Americans. VICTORY belongs to Iran and Iranians. Moreover, and very importantly and significantly, because of his folly and extremely poor geopolitical judgment, Trump has given Iran and the Mullahs the prestige of being a new world power! So much for the ART of Trump’s DEALs!

Welcome to the NEW WORLD ORDER!

This must surely be the high price a nation pays for electing into the highest office in the land a man who is not only incompetent and inexperienced in geopolitics, but who is also in the throes of brain rot, caused by galloping dementia! — © Mark Alexander

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Donald Trump’s Iran deal met with anger, relief and incredulity: G7 leaders and mediator Pakistan hailed the release of the memorandum of understanding, views that were not widely shared in Israel and among US Republicans »

Ambassador John Bolton on Why the Iran War Is Nothing But a US ‘Political Defeat’

Jun 17, 2026 | Andrew Marr speaks to Ambassador John Bolton and Exiled Crown Prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, about whether the US-Iran peace deal actually marks the end of the conflict.

Bolton sees it as less of a ‘peace deal’ and more a ‘political surrender’. Despite Trump’s attempts to spin the narrative, the Ambassador thinks it’s a ‘significant political defeat’ for the US.

Donald Trump has said he doesn’t believe in Iranian regime change but warned 'all hell will rain down' if it breaks a newly agreed peace deal.

Speaking at the G7 conference today, the US president threatened to continue their bombing campaign if Iran ‘doesn’t behave’.

Speaking from the perspective of Iran, Reza Pahlavi says the ‘fight is not over’ until the complete liberation of his people from the IRGC.

Donald Trump Is on His Last Legs | Steve Schmidt

Jun 17, 2026 | Donald Trump's health is deteriorating at an alarming rate. Steve Schmidt breaks down Trump's shocking physical collapse and why JD Vance is not fit to replace him.

I wouldn’t trust JD Vance any more than I would trust a viper! Having Trump at the helm has been, is, and will continue to be bad enough. Having JD Vance at the helm would be an even bigger nightmare! He is also an incessant liar. If he ever becomes POTUS, it will be one of the greatest career trajectories in history: from son of a junky to the White House! Wow! Talk about aiming for the stars… — a journey from the abyss to the stratosphere! — © Mark Alexander

It’s Going Down Very Badly’ - Trump Faces Backlash after Iran Deal Leaked

Jun 17, 2026 | A leaked copy of Donald Trump’s deal with Iran appears to show the president facilitating a $300 billion fund for the Islamic Republic, but Trump has denied that the US will be putting even “10 cents” into the fund as he spoke to reporters at the G7 summit in Evian.

Either way, he has faced a fierce backlash from hawkish Republicans, with Senator Lindsey Graham comparing the deal to a marshall plan for Germany “with the Nazis still in charge”.

So, what is exactly in the memorandum of understanding and what’s next for Iran, America and the rest of the world watching on?

Trump’s ‘Strategic Defeat’ as Iran Plans Strait of Hormuz Fees

Jun 17, 2026 | “Iran has really won this conflict.”

The agreement between the US and Iran still has a great deal of misunderstanding on both sides but Iran will be able to be compensated for the war via Strait of Hormuz fees, says former special envoy for the US State Department David Goldwyn.

David Goldwyn and Matthew Bryza were speaking to Carole Walker and Kait Borsay on Times Radio.

Democracy Now! Trita Parsi on What May Be in the US-Iran Peace Deal & Being Threatened with Deportation

Jun 16, 2026 | The US and Iran reached a memorandum of understanding on Sunday extending the ceasefire by 60 days. It is set to be formally signed in Geneva on Friday. The text of the agreement has not yet been released, but Iran has agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, while the US will lift its naval blockade. According to Iran, the deal calls for a permanent and immediate cessation of hostilities on all fronts, including in Lebanon. But Israel, which is not a party to the agreement, says it plans to keep troops in parts of southern Lebanon. "The Israelis are trying to destroy this deal, and they will continue to try," says Trita Parsi, executive vice-president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft. "It will require persistent, consistent pressure by Trump on the Israelis in order to hold them back."

We also discuss how The Free Press, founded by Bari Weiss, published an article last week claiming the State Department had opened a probe into Parsi that could lead to his deportation. The State Department issued a statement just hours later claiming that it had "no plans to revoke the green card of Mr. Parsi at this time."

"I do believe that there were elements inside the State Department that wanted to move in this direction," says Parsi. "They thought that this hit piece would help move things forward, but I think, frankly, it backfired."


Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Trump's 'Humiliating' Peace Deal with Iran Could Send a Worrying Message | Richard Spencer

Jun 16, 2026 | "[China] looks at the long term, at whether American power is waxing or waning, and the suspicion at the moment is that it's rather waning."

Trump has made "real peace" with the Iranian regime "in its current form", despite those around him believing the war really was about regime change, says The Times's Richard Spencer.

Jeffrey Sachs: US-Iran Deal Reached - Peace or Tactical Pause?

Jun 15, 2026 | Prof. Jeffrey Sachs discusses the US announcement that a deal between the US and Iran has been agreed. Jeffrey Sachs

Democracy Now! Will Israel Blow Up Trump's Deal? Jeremy Scahill on Iran Talks, Strait of Hormuz, Nukes & More

Jun 15, 2026 | More than 100 days into hostilities, Iran and the United States say they have reached a preliminary deal to end the war. Israel, however, is not a party to the tentative deal and says it plans to keep occupying areas of southern Lebanon — a position still contested by Iran and the key sticking point to the partial ceasefire deal agreed to by the U.S. and Iran in April. Although the new agreement is set to be signed Friday, Israel’s unrelenting assault on Lebanon could once again spoil any deal.

“This is going to become the center of whether any actual agreement takes place,” says Drop Site News's Jeremy Scahill, who joins Democracy Now! to break down what we know about this latest round of diplomacy. As the U.S. now intends to end the war without accomplishing its initial goals of regime change and nuclear capitulation, it appears that Trump has “finally accepted some version of his manufactured [and] almost entirely false victory narrative.” Scahill, who has spoken extensively to Iranian officials about the negotiations, says it remains to be seen if Iran can successfully “decouple” the U.S.-Israeli alliance from Israel's expansionary front in Lebanon, or whether it has relinquished too much of its own “strategic leverage” by agreeing to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.


Democracy Now! can be supported here.

Iran War Was Trump’s ‘Biggest Foreign Policy Failure’ | Andrew Neil

Jun 15, 2026 | “Everyone who is an American ally… is a loser in this war. And the winners are Iran, Russia, China, and the proxy terrorists of these countries like Hezbollah and Hamas.”

An agreement has been reached to bring the conflict in Iran to an end, but President Trump is being given “far too much credit” for resolving a war he started without “any real explanation of the purpose”, says Times Radio presenter Andrew Neil.


To me, this all sounds like more of Trump’s BS! If I am not greatly mistaken, this so-called peace deal is the triumph of hope and fiction over fact and truth! — © Mark Alexander

U.S. and Tehran Agree on Framework for Peace

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The deal was expected to open the Strait of Hormuz, lift the U.S. naval blockade on Iranian ports and pave the way for further talks. It did not address Iran’s nuclear program.

Source of screenshot: This NYT article. | Tehran last week. | Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times
The United States and Iran reached an agreement on Sunday that paved the way for further talks to ultimately end a monthslong war that has killed thousands of people, roiled the Middle East and rattled the global economy.

The announcement led to relief in Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East. It also sent oil prices tumbling, in part because the deal is expected to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for the world’s energy supplies.

But critical issues — including the fate of Iran’s nuclear program, the linchpin of the U.S.-Israeli attacks that started the war — have been pushed back to a later round of negotiations. And the economic shock waves of a war that has crippled supply chains and sent inflation soaring will keep rippling through the global economy for months.

The text of the agreement, which is scheduled to be signed by leaders from the two countries on Friday in Geneva, was not immediately released. Iran War Live Updates » | Yan Zhuang, Farnaz Fassihi and Adam Rasgon | Monday, June 15, 2026

Where Will the Coming Iran War Negotiations Lead? (w/ Mohammad Marandi) | The Chris Hedges Report

June 14, 2026 | As new negotiations launch between the parties involved in the Iran War, existential questions regarding the future of Israel and the global economy remain contingent on complex geopolitical variables. To parse through these possibilities, Iranian academic Mohammad Marandi joins The Chris Hedges Report.

U.S. and Tehran Send Mixed Signals on Emerging Peace Agreement

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump said it would be signed on Sunday, but Iran’s Foreign Ministry cautioned that the timeline could be slower.

Screenshot is from this NYT article. | People walking past a mural in Tehran last week. | Arash Khamooshi/Polaris for The New York Times
It was unclear early Sunday when or whether the United States and Iran might sign a peace agreement, after President Trump and Tehran offered conflicting timelines.

Mr. Trump said in a social media post on Saturday that a deal was “scheduled to get signed” the next day and that it would immediately open the Strait of Hormuz. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif of Pakistan, a key mediator in the negotiations, had said in a post hours earlier that the finalization of an agreement was expected within 24 hours, followed by the “electronic signing of the peace deal.”

But Esmail Baghaei, a spokesman for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said that a deal would not be signed on Sunday, though he left open the possibility that one could be in the coming days, according to the Iranian state news media.

Neither the United States nor Iran has shared text of the deal being considered, and it could still be derailed. American and Iranian officials have said that under a “memorandum of understanding,” Iran would reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the United States would lift its blockade on Iranian ports, and the cease-fire that the two sides agreed to in April would be extended for 60 days.

During that period, both sides would commit to holding detailed negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program, where differences persist and neither side has shown much willingness to compromise, and over the lifting of U.S. sanctions on Iran. Iran War Live Updates » | Yan Zhuang, Jonathan Swan and Abdi Latif Dahir | Sunday, June 14, 2026

Peace At Last? Cyprus Closer Than Ever To A Deal (Parts 1 & 2)

Obama Warns Israel Time Is Running Out On Palestinian Peace

Mar. 03, 2014 - 5:04 - Spokesman reacts to President Obama's message

Netanyahu: Peace Needs New Approach
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says a peace deal with the Palestinians will require a creative, new approach. Deborah Lutterbeck reports. Video Courtesy of Reuters.