There are men who end wars quietly. Donald Trump ended this one at the Palace of Versailles, at a dinner celebrating the 250th anniversary of American independence from France, hosted by the French president, which required events to occur in a very specific order for that sentence to be possible and they occurred in exactly that order.
Trump signed the U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding on Wednesday night. Marco Rubio received the document first, described the moment as “pretty key” in history, and handed it to the president like a particularly consequential pen ceremony. Trump signed. Iran’s president signed remotely, from a location that was not Versailles, because Iran was not invited to the American independence dinner that ended the war with Iran. Macron called the deal “excellent,” which is what you call a deal when you hosted it and want credit.
The agreement itself is a 60-day framework, meaning it expires before Labor Day, at which point the parties will have either negotiated a permanent deal or Trump will resume bombing, which he confirmed at the post-signing press conference, apparently feeling that a peace agreement needs a threat attached to give it structure. The $300 billion reconstruction fund is pledged by Gulf states. The inspection mechanism, the part that determines whether Iran is actually doing what the document says, is described as “two-step nuclear verification,” a phrase that means the details are still being negotiated and calling it TBD would make the news cycle difficult.
Versailles was not a random choice. It is where Louis XIV held court to demonstrate that everything in France was ultimately about Louis XIV. It is where the World War I peace treaty was signed in terms so humiliating to Germany that historians have spent a century arguing about whether they caused the next one. Trump held his signing dinner there because it is the grandest room that was available on short notice and because the grandest room is always the correct room.
He told reporters afterward that if Iran “misbehaves” during the 60 days he will bomb them again. He said this directly after signing a peace agreement. The word “peace” was used earlier in the same press conference.
When you sign a ceasefire at the palace of the Sun King and warn the other party about misbehaving on your way out, what exactly have you settled?
Sources
Fox News live
Fox News Iran deal details video
Fox News: US-Iran deal takes immediate effect; nuclear talks ongoing after Trump signs MOU
