Newsmax chief Christopher Ruddy kept up his Trump-fluffing ways in a June 16 column begging President Trump to avoid an Iran deal that involves a reconstruction fund:
President Trump was right to call reports of a $300 billion reconstruction fund for Iran “fake news.”
He should keep calling them that until the idea is dead, buried and impossible to revive under another name.
Vice President JD Vance has sought to reassure skeptics about the plan.
“The Iranians are not receiving any cash, and no funds are being released for simply signing a deal or attending a meeting,” the Vice President said this past weekend.
Vance then said economic benefits would flow only if Tehran meets its obligations under a future agreement.
That is better than a blank check, but its suggests a $300 billion is still in the works and part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that starts a 60-day ceasefire.
Here’s the central question: why should Iran receive access to any reconstruction fund let alone one with $300 billion?
The floated proposal makes no sense.
Worse, it is dangerous.
It would reward a maniacal regime not for reforming, not for compensating its victims, and not for abandoning terror as an instrument of statecraft.
Ruddy omits the fact that the $300 billion fund is a key provision of the released draft agreement, or that it’s unclear who, exactly, will pay for it. Instead, he continued to run to Trump’s defense:
President Trump deserves enormous credit for defending American interests and for helping to destroy Iran’s nuclear program.
Previous presidents refused to take up this challenge, but Trump didn’t choke.
Now negotiators and countries such as Pakistan that are trying to broker terms with Iran should understand this clearly: peace at any cost is not peace.
It is extortion.
The world should not reward Iran for its crimes.
The $300 billion Iran fund will not buy peace.
It will, most certainly, finance Iran’s next war.
Given that Ruddy will say just about anything to suck up to Trump, it’s unclear how much sway he might have on this issue.