Capitulating To A Vanquished Iranian Enemy?: The Good, The Bad, And The Unknown In The Memorandum of Understanding
Have you ever had a person in your life that you greatly admire and respect do something that completely shocks you, and not in a good way? Your heart breaks; you wonder what’s happened. How could this person do these things? It makes no sense!
That is how I have felt these past few weeks as I’ve watched the actions taken by President Donald Trump. I love the man. He has done so much for my country, especially when it comes to how we’ve dealt with Gaza. But his recent decisions regarding Iran have left me baffled, angry, and just plain sad.
The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that he has electronically signed onto is nothing short of an American capitulation to a vanquished Iranian enemy. Other than with Iran’s nuclear program, the USA, Israel, and the rest of the world are left in a weaker position against the Islamic regime than before hostilities ever began. In this article, I am going to give you a quick list of the Good, the Bad, and the Unknown when it comes to various items covered in the MoU.
Details from the MoU between the USA and Iran:
Lebanon and Hezbollah
Good: Israel will not fully withdraw from Lebanon, and Hezbollah needs to disarm
Bad: Israel’s attack on Hezbollah in Beirut was blocked
Unknown: Who will ultimately disarm Hezbollah and finish the job? The president hinted that the dapper terrorist in charge of Syria might be the guy to do the job. I pray he’s not serious.
Iran’s Nuclear Arsenal
Good: There is a commitment to deal with Iran’s enriched uranium
Bad: Iran will be allowed to continue enriching uranium at a reduced level
Unknown: Who will monitor, control, and enforce the enrichment limits? Iran will never give up its nuclear program, and it has developed masterful skills at pulling the wool over the eyes of all monitoring agencies.
Iran’s Ballistic Missiles
Good: Iran’s capabilities to produce missiles were set back
Bad: Money is flowing back into the nation, giving the funds for a quick restoration of their capabilities
Unknown: We don’t know what will happen with their missiles, and Trump said at the G7 Summit that since others have missiles, then Iran needs to have them too
Strait of Hormuz
Good: The Strait of Hormuz will be reopened
Bad: It will cost money to use it, which gives Iran a strategic weapon for conflicts
Unknown: Will the Strait agreement be sustainable?
Frozen Assets and Recovery Funds
Good: Absolutely nothing
Bad: Everybody pays off Iran – USA, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia
Unknown: Just how much is involved? Obama sent $1.7 billion in 2016. Trump’s deal could involve as much as $300 billion
Iranian Proxies
Good: Israel will not withdraw from Lebanon and will continue to fight Hezbollah
Bad: The United Nations resolution to disarm Hezbollah is ignored, leaving Iran free to continue funding its proxies
Unknown: Will Iran be forced somehow to stop arming, training, and supporting its proxies in Iraq, Yemen, and Lebanon? Does this mean that Israel will continue to have murderous enemies directly on its borders?
In exchange for this great bounty, Iran opened the Strait of Hormuz and “declared” that it will not produce nukes. It’s a ridiculous trade. The strong “finish the job” voices of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee have been replaced by the capitulating words of Vice President J. D. Vance. As UAE political strategist Amjad Taha posted on X, “Out of 8.3 billion people on Earth, only two seem to trust Iran: Trump and JD Vance.”
Something President Trump has said a couple times now has me saddened and concerned. In his opinion, Israel exists only because of him. When he says this, he is unknowingly echoing a biblical principle: God has placed me in this position for such a time as this.
The statement brings to my mind Esther 4:14: “For if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
If a leader allows financial interests to override righteous judgment, God is neither surprised nor hindered. He simply removes that leader and entrusts the task to another. The day is coming when no world leader will be willing or able to stand with Israel. The danger will surpass human comprehension. And that is precisely when the Lord Himself will intervene. As God declared in Ezekiel 38:22: “And I will bring him to judgment with pestilence and bloodshed; I will rain down on him, on his troops, and on the many peoples who are with him, flooding rain, great hailstones, fire, and brimstone.”
God will not abandon His people. But He will judge those who abandon them.
Having said that, let me once again reiterate that I greatly respect President Trump and am so grateful for all that he has done for my nation. Beyond the fact that the full and final picture is still unclear, and beyond the fact that it is both unwise and foolish to quarrel with the strongest superpower in the world, Judaism teaches the value of “hakarat hatov”—recognizing and appreciating the good that has been done for you. As the sages have said: “Do not spit into the well from which you drank.”
I came across a list someone compiled outlining President Trump’s contributions to Israel over the past ten years. Some points may be open to interpretation, but most are clear, tangible achievements backed by action. Before anyone turns against America or President Trump, it is worth taking a moment to read through this list. At the very least, it helps put things into perspective.
First Term: Support for Israel
- Recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
- Moved the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem.
- Recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights.
- Initiated the Abraham Accords.
- Helped normalize Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan.
- Shattered the long-held assumption that Israel must first make concessions to Palestinian demands before Arab states could make peace.
- Withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal.
- Reimposed a maximum-pressure sanctions campaign on Iran.
- Cut U.S. funding to UNRWA.
- Withdrew from the UN Human Rights Council because of its anti-Israel bias.
- Closed the PLO office in Washington.
- Reduced U.S. aid to the Palestinian Authority.
- Signed the Taylor Force Act, restricting assistance connected to the Palestinian Authority’s “pay-for-slay” system.
- Unveiled the most pro-Israel American peace plan ever proposed.
- Recognized Israel’s security control as essential to any future peace framework.
- Changed U.S. policy on settlements, rejecting the claim that Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria are inherently illegal.
- Allowed certain products from Israeli-controlled areas to be labeled “Made in Israel.”
- Provided Israel with strong diplomatic backing at the United Nations.
- Supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas and Iranian proxies.
- Ordered the strike that killed Qasem Soleimani, the architect of Iran’s regional terrorist network.
Second Term: So Far
- Imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court over its targeting of Israel and the United States.
- Defended Netanyahu and Gallant against what many viewed as the ICC’s campaign of lawfare.
- Removed Biden-era sanctions imposed on Israelis living in Judea and Samaria.
- Renewed pressure on UNRWA.
- Ordered a review of U.S. funding for UN bodies accused of anti-Israel bias and antisemitism.
- Provided diplomatic support for Israel during the Gaza war.
- Helped advance a Gaza ceasefire and hostage framework that included Israeli security guarantees.
- Continued expanding the Abraham Accords framework.
- Promoted broader regional normalization with Israel.
- Joined Israel militarily against Iran.
- Helped degrade Iran’s missile, drone, naval, and air defense capabilities.
- Maintained the public red line that Iran must never be allowed to obtain nuclear weapons.
Indirect Contributions to Israel
- Reduced Israel’s diplomatic isolation.
- Strengthened the regional alliance against Iran.
- Opened new regional markets for Israeli trade, technology, tourism, cybersecurity, water innovation, and security cooperation.
- Weakened the Palestinian veto over Arab-Israeli normalization.
- Applied significant pressure on the Palestinian Authority.
- Challenged the international lawfare campaign against Israel.
- Made support for Israel a central pillar of Republican foreign policy.
- Brought U.S. policy closer to the Israeli consensus on Jerusalem, the Golan Heights, Iran, UNRWA, and the International Criminal Court.
- Gave Israel greater diplomatic freedom of action.
- Normalized the idea that peace can be built through strength, shared interests, and regional alliances—not only through Israeli concessions.
- Strengthened deterrence against Iran and its proxies.
- Made reform or replacement of UNRWA a serious topic of U.S. policy discussion.
- Demonstrated that bold pro-Israel policies do not necessarily undermine regional diplomacy—in some cases, they create the very conditions that make it possible.
While criticism of what appears to be the president’s current course of action may be warranted, we Israelis can never forget all that the man has done for us. As for me, I will ask God to give Donald Trump clarity in his thinking and wisdom in his actions. And, most importantly, I will pray that the Lord brings the president into a close walk with Himself.
