On May 29, 2026, convicted felon Trump posted on "Truth Social": Iran must agree that they will never have a Nuclear Weapon or Bomb. The obvious question that that assertion inspires is, Why must Iran so agree?

On February 28, 2025, Trump met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the White House. Zelenskyy had come to seek increased American support for Ukraine's ongoing war with Russia. Trump and Zelenskyy held different beliefs in how peace negotiations with Russia should proceed. When Zelenskyy pressed on for his approach, Trump stated, "You're not in a good position. You don't have the cards right now."

Trump's fixation on "cards" demonstrates why Iran would be foolish to accept Trump's demand. Nuclear weapons, or the possibility of nuclear weapons, are Iran's metaphorical cards. Right now, Iran holds some "cards" in its relations to Israel, the Middle East, and the United States. In giving up its weapons, Iran gives up its "cards".

In 2003, the United States made numerous demands concerning disarmament upon Iraq. By early 2003, Iraq was cooperating with inspectors to a much greater degree than in the 1990s. It was in the process of addressing many U.N. demands. The United States attacked Iraq anyway. Having acceded to U.S. demands, Iraq had thrown away its metaphorical cards. Now holding no "cards" and virtually defenseless, Iraq suffered unrestrained bombing. Whether or not one accepts this comparison, the Iraq precedent gives Iranian leaders reason to view unilateral disarmament skeptically.

Iran should not be expected to disarm unilaterally while rival states retain nuclear arsenals. The appropriate solution is reciprocal and verifiable disarmament. RadicalLeft.site does not favor a disarmament in which the United States and Israel have nuclear weapons but Iran does not. Let it also be remembered that the United States is the only nation that has ever employed nuclear weapons in war.

The disarmament that radicalLeft.site favors is one in which no nation possesses nuclear weapons. That kind of disarmament is logistically possible. It would require international inspection of all facilities capable of developing such weapons. Iran has already demonstrated its willingness to agree and abide by such inspections.