Blazingcatfur

Russia, China and the Middle East are theaters where Western strategic illusions tend to erode too slowly — almost politely — until reality forces its way through.

The rulers of the Middle East learned long ago — from the United States falling for their Charlie Brown football routine every time — how to outwit the West or outlast it.

With the Gaza Strip, US President Donald J. Trump sets up a “Board of Peace” ostensibly to oversee the permanent disarmament of Hamas, only to pack it with Islamists dedicated to waging war, who have no interest in seeing any kind of peace, and then turns his attention elsewhere while Hamas comfortably builds up its power base again.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday bashed leaks and media reports about the terms of a U.S.-Iran ceasefire, as confusion over the agreement threatened to undermine the fragile pause in fighting.

In a post on Truth Social, the president said that “Numerous Agreements, Lists, and Letters” being circulated online are being “sent out by people that have absolutely nothing to do with the U.S.A. / Iran Negotiation, in many cases, they are total Fraudsters, Charlatans, and WORSE.”

The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday barely an hour before Donald Trump’s deadline to obliterate Iran was set to expire, with Tehran agreeing to temporarily reopen the strait of Hormuz.

Israel also agreed to the ceasefire, the White House said. As Trump announced he was suspending his plans to escalate attacks across Iran, the US president said he had received a 10-point proposal from Iran which was a “workable basis on which to negotiate”.

But what is in this plan from Iran, and will Trump accept it?

Whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or not is anybody’s guess reports are all over the map.

In a series of Situation Room meetings, President Trump weighed his instincts against the deep concerns of his vice president and a pessimistic intelligence assessment. Here’s the inside story of how he made the fateful decision.

The black S.U.V. carrying Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House just before 11 a.m. on Feb. 11. The Israeli leader, who had been pressing for months for the United States to agree to a major assault on Iran, was whisked inside with little ceremony, out of view of reporters, primed for one of the most high-stakes moments in his long career.

U.S. and Israeli officials gathered first in the Cabinet Room, adjacent to the Oval Office. Then Mr. Netanyahu headed downstairs for the main event: a highly classified presentation on Iran for President Trump and his team in the White House Situation Room, which was rarely used for in-person meetings with foreign leaders.

Mr. Trump sat down, but not in his usual position at the head of the room’s mahogany conference table. Instead, the president took a seat on one side, facing the large screens mounted along the wall. Mr. Netanyahu sat on the other side, directly opposite the president.