Yep. Anyway, Trump should have a stern word with that guy who was president from 2017-2021 and entered office when Iran's nuclear program was under effective verification and restrictions due to a deal. That guy who was president from 2017-2021 sure did screw up, huh!!

👇

Waiting patiently for confirmed details...but, boy, sure does seem like some people need to have their policy-advising licenses taken away if their preferred strategies are leading us to this notional MOU. They seem to understand that, given the frequency of their tweeting...

I'll withhold detailed comment until we see the text of what's been described as a US-Iran MOU by Trump. But, if it is what's been reported thus far...it's pretty hard to see this as a durable outcome or solution to the problems articulated as the reason for the war.

My capacity to be shocked is pretty much nil, at this point, but here we are: I.R.S. Must Drop Audits of Trump and Family www.nytimes.com/2026/05/19/u...

Because they were insurrectionists who were party to an attempt to overthrow the government of the United States by unconstitutional means. They deserve no sympathy whatsoever.

I do find the juxtaposition of his mode with Xi and when he's back to being the big man on AF1 pretty revealing.

Great, if sometimes bleak, conversation with Bruce Swartz and @dschulkin.bsky.social on the @justsecurity.org Podcast www.justsecurity.org/138942/podca...

Excited about this new series on sanctions & corruption that we did with the great team at @justsecurity.org - check out all of the pieces as they post! Huge thanks to @perryworldhouse.bsky.social Distinguished Visiting Fellow (and dear friend) @richardmnephew.bsky.social for spearheading this work.

Without reform, “sanctions will continue to police the margins of corruption while leaving its center untouched,” writes Richard Nephew (@richardmnephew.bsky.social). Three lessons from the former inaugural U.S. Coordinator on Global Anti-Corruption at the State Department:

Just finished @hooverinstitution.bsky.social Fellow and @columbiauenergy.bsky.social NR Fellow Eyck Freymann's excellent book, Defending Taiwan. Only two sittings required for this informative, clear, and straightforward book on a tough problem. You should read it. academic.oup.com/book/62434

I'm sorry, this is being interpreted as a good sign?

Significant reporting: www.reuters.com/investigatio...

Important article from my former USG anti-corruption colleague, @abigailbellows.bsky.social and @justsecurity.org. Pioneering Plunder: How to Stop Modern Profiteering in Public Office at www.justsecurity.org/137399/pione...

Are Iran's oil wells going to "explode" because of the US blockade? Is it going to lose production capacity permanently from shutting in fields? www.energypolicy.columbia.edu/irans-oil-se... @columbiauenergy.bsky.social @qamarenergy.bsky.social #energysky

As the Trump administration pursues an end to the war in Iran, it should “set a high bar for significant sanctions relief and ensure that the IRGC-led regime is not the primary beneficiary of any deal,” argues @richardmnephew.bsky.social.

NEW from me in @justsecurity.org. My dissection of the Trump administration's latest legal defense of its war on Iran. "This defective and overly permissive justification risks further eroding legal constraints on the use of force." www.justsecurity.org/137097/state...

Wonderful news. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Ah, the good ole "completely irrelevant from a global oil price perspective but sure does help Russia sell its oil at inflated prices issued on a Friday so no one will notice" license. ofac.treasury.gov/media/935526...

Thanks for the tip @profsaunders.bsky.social. I do have a question for @reidpauly.bsky.social, though: how often do you get hate mail asking why you think "coercion" is an art? Cuz if I had a nickel for every time I'm asked that about sanctions, I'd outstrip my actual royalties pretty damn quick.

This is excellent news.

All I know is that we had this scenario (first bit, anyway) for Cuba and a Russian tanker docked with Trump's blessing in March. Sooooo....

Worth noting: when next you hear someone say "oh, if only the negotiators on the JCPOA had tried harder, we could've gotten Iran to give up its nuclear program," this whole episode is a useful demonstration of why that assumption is wrong. This isn't just me being snotty. 1/6

BREAKING CBS: Survivors of the deadliest Iranian attack on U.S. forces have disputed the Pentagon's description of events and said their unit in Kuwait was left dangerously exposed when six service members were killed and over 20 wounded. The members disputed the description from Pete Hegseth.

Happy Appomattox Court House Day to all those who celebrate (hint: that should be everyone.)

OK, so according to Barak Ravid on the other site, the 10 points he referenced in tweet 1 are not the same 10 points that were made public by Iran. I guess that's possible? But big "my girlfriend is from Canada, you don't know her" vibes...

OK, but you explicitly acknowledged as "workable basis" the 10 point Iranian plan, Mr. President. That was you, in this format.

I observe that some Trump supporters are claiming that his acceptance of the Iranian 10-point plan as a basis of negotiations is no concession. And to be sure, I doubt that's the final text. On the other hand, the man did license Iran to sell its oil sanctions free, sooooo...

I think what’s happening is that, for the first time in his life, Trump is being told “no.” Having dealt with people who have this particular personality disorder, there’s no obvious limit to what he’ll do to himself or others trying to avoid accepting it.

This is an invocation of a genocidal threat, made worse by his dodging of responsibility for the crimes he may order. Those of us who comment on U.S. Iran policy have a responsibility to make clear their position on his appalling threat below. Do you support this? I do not.

I wasn't inclined to share further an image of the Trump Iran statement on Easter, but I gather that some news agencies and commentators are avoiding doing so. That is actually their job, but if they won't do it, others should. This is what the man said. Don't look away.

"Barely a day goes by where there is not a credible allegation of corrupt practices..." www.justsecurity.org/133481/year-...

If you were wondering why so many people were outraged by Hegseth's "no quarter" bullshit, take a moment today to think about what it actually means...

Well worth the read. thebulletin.org/2026/04/how-...

Absolutely nothing new in that speech. Conflict will go on for weeks to finish the job, which is finished, to deal with the nuclear issue, but we don't have to because it's buried, and we did it before, and prices are low and tax refunds are coming. If you missed it, congrats.

Well, you may care about it soon enough, buddy. ‘I Don’t Care About That’: Trump Says Iran’s Enriched Uranium Is Not a Concern www.nytimes.com/2026/04/01/u...

The easing of oil sanctions on Iran is intended to lower energy prices, but by doing this, the Trump administration is asking Tehran to “please, please, please sell oil because the market is going haywire,” @richardmnephew.bsky.social told the @nytimes.com.

No kings.

I've been working to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons for a long time. This is the stupidest way of explaining why Iran having nuclear weapons would be bad that I have ever heard. I think people understand the concept without having to word salad magic vests.

Was just thinking: anyone else remember when the CBI/oil sanx passed in Dec 2011 and Obama was given a shut-off valve for those sanx if oil supply was too tight and oil prices were around $100/barrel...and he ordered us to use the sanx to reduce Iranian exports anyway?

There was ONE ATC in the tower at LGA during last night's crash. ONE ATC, at LGA!, dealing w ALL air and ground traffic, including a plane filling w a strange smell and no gate to return to. The Pentagon wants $200B for a vanity war, but our ATC towers are empty. Budgets are moral documents.

I've seen the tweets about how since most of Iran's oil might be spoken for, this ridiculous GL doesn't matter. No, don't think that's right. Yes, Iran was already selling oil in contravention of sanctions. Yes, despite the "max pressure" tattoos, US wasn't stopping it. 1/6

Exactly right, but with a 6th: did anyone seriously believe that this was something they were actually doing? I mean, seriously? There's a reason the JCPOA had something like 30 pages of text on verification and transparency. I'm running out of Brooklyn-based bridges to sell.

This is truly amazing. If you wanted to do this ridiculous thing, there was at least a way to avoid putting money directly into Iranian government hands. But, that would require thought, strategy, and diplomatic work. ofac.treasury.gov/media/935376...

The war in Iran could trigger a global food shock • More than 1.1mn tonnes of fertiliser and fertiliser inputs is currently stuck in the Gulf • Shortages are starting during northern hemisphere’s planting season, raising the risk of lower harvests for staples like rice www.ft.com/content/1054...

You really shouldn’t be allowed to become a congressman until you can demonstrate you’ve read at least one history book. Say, one on the Treaty of Versailles

Aid to Ukraine from 2022-2026 was a rounding error. We used more in the first two weeks of the Iran war than we provided in the 4 years of aid to Ukraine.

The @wsj.com's latest Iran editorial suggested an inevitable Iranian march to acquire nuclear weapons that only force could prevent, but that's just not what the evidence suggests. @thebulletin.org published some of my thoughts. thebulletin.org/2026/03/revi...

(1/3) Catch up on our recent analysis: • U.S.-Israel-Iran War • Sudan • Epstein Files • AI Governance • Symposium: Updated ICRC Commentary • United Nations • Anti-Corruption Series • Counterextremism • Trump Executive Actions www.justsecurity.org/133442/diges...