Staff Reports
On CNN this week, Fareed Zakaria said something the mainstream press rarely admits out loud: the blockade on Iran is working. He told viewers that Iran is “squeezed,” that Tehran has been coming forward with proposals, and that President Trump — for all the chest-thumping — has been reluctant to take a quick deal. That short sentence from a liberal pundit deserves more attention than the usual hand-wringing applause for any “diplomatic breakthrough.”
Fareed Zakaria: The blockade is working — and it’s a problem for deal-chasers
Zakaria’s point was simple and awkward for the elites: pressure yields results. When you choke off money, oil, and diplomatic cover, adversaries suddenly remember how to bargain. Yet the media’s reflex is to scold the White House for not signing on the dotted line the moment Iran coughs up a proposal. That ignores the obvious — when Iran is squeezed, it offers the kind of half-measures and clever wording that let them cheat later. If the blockade is delivering leverage, it makes no sense to trade it away for headlines.
Don’t rush a deal — let leverage work
President Trump’s reluctance to rush into an agreement should not be confused with weakness. Negotiating from strength is the oldest rule of diplomacy. Zakaria even admitted both sides “overplayed their hand” when they felt advantaged. That is why bargains signed in haste are often just PR stunts with built‑in escape hatches for Tehran. Real security requires tough verifiable limits on nuclear work, snap inspections, fixes to missile and proxy behavior, and no sunset clauses that hand Iran a timetable to break out again.
Why the White House should keep squeezing Iran
Pressure isn’t cruelty; it’s policy. Cutting off funds for terror networks, biting back at regional aggression, and keeping Iran’s oil sales in check all reduce the threat to American troops, allies, and citizens. The alternative is the same cycle we saw before: a rushed agreement that collapses, then renewed crisis and pressure. If the midterms really taught us anything — as Zakaria said — it’s that Americans don’t want another war. They want a settlement that lasts. That means using leverage to get real, verifiable results, not a photo op on the Rose Garden lawn.
Hold the line — don’t swap leverage for applause
Here’s the blunt truth conservatives should shout from the rooftops: if the blockade is working, that’s a good thing. The goal is not to be declared a winner on cable news. The goal is to stop Iran from getting a bomb, to degrade its terror networks, and to protect our allies. Let the inside-the-beltway crowd clamor for instant deals. The smarter play is to let pressure work, demand hard guarantees, and avoid gifting Tehran relief in exchange for vague promises. If President Trump stays cautious, that’s prudence — not impotence.
