Iran from Davos makes play as peace-lover to the world

OPINION:

Iran’s vice president for strategic affairs, Mohammad Javan Zarid, said during a World Economic Forum address in Davos, Switzerland, that he hoped newly inaugurated President Donald Trump would show “rationality” toward Iran — because Tehran, he said, was a peaceful-loving nation that didn’t even want nuclear weapons, no, nope, not even if they were gift-wrapped in gold and tied with big red fluffy ribbons.

Iran’s new bestie-to-the-world approach may fool Democrats. And the brain-dead. But as for the rest of America and the world — and certainly the Trump administration — the thought isn’t so much to tickle Tehran’s tummy as it is to raise up arms.

“Lindsey Graham wants military action against Iran’s nuclear program,” Politico wrote.

Yes. That would be a good start.

The nation that funds terror around the world is not the nation to believe would use nuclear capabilities only for peace.

The nation that serves as the top sponsor of terror around the globe is hardly a nation that would refrain from lying about its nuclear designs.

From Reuters — this: “Iran hopes U.S. President Donald Trump will choose ’rationality’ in its dealing with the Islamic Republican, Iran’s … Zarif said on Wednesday, adding that Tehran had never sought nuclear weapons. Addressing the [WEF in Davos], Zarif said Iran did not pose a security threat to the world. ’I hope this time around, a ’Trump 2’ will be more serious, more focused, more realistic,’ Zarif said.”

America — Israel — look forward to a serious, focused, realistic White House administration, too, starting with the serious look at the dangers Iran poses to the security of the world; moving to a focused strategy to destroy Iran’s aims at nuclear weaponry; and finishing with a realistic understanding that the Tehran regime will never, no never, stop trying to kill Jews and Westerners, and that when chants of “death to Israel, death to America, death to the West” go forth in the streets of Iran, that well, they mean it; death is not some sort of Muslim substitute word for an invitation to luncheon.

“Iran’s nuclear program has generated widespread concern that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons,” the Congressional Research Service wrote in December. “According to U.S. intelligence assessments, Tehran has the capacity to produce nuclear weapons at some point, but has halted its nuclear weapons program and has not mastered all of the necessary technologies for building such weapons.”

And now Zarif would have it believed Iran is simply turning its centrifuges into eco-friendly flower pots.

Within hours of taking office, Trump revoked Joe Biden’s sanctions against Israeli citizens and nonprofits in Judea and Samaria — a move that undoubtedly falls outside the favor of Iran’s Jew-haters.

“Iran anniversary marchers chant ’death to Israel’ amid regional tensions over Gaza,” Reuters reported in February 2024.

“Iranian lawmakers chant ’death to Israel’ in Parliament,” The Times of India reported in a video in September 2024.

“What we know about Iran’s missile attack on Israel,” BBC wrote in October 2024.

Seeing the theme?

Word is Trump is going to take a tougher stance on Iran, whether through sanctions or by boosting Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s military capabilities, or both — or something else entirely.

And Zarif goes: This is not how you treat a bestie!

But facts are funny things; truths are stubborn things.

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, FinCEN, recently clamped Iran’s ability to do financial business around the world, and said this: “Terrorist organizations and activity supported by and aligned with Iran should not benefit from access to the U.S. or international financial systems.” And this: “Iran continues to explore new ways to fund its dangerous and destabilizing activities, including the proliferation of dangerous weapons.”

There’s more. Much more. But to be taken in by the likes of Zarif is unfathomable and unforgivable.

“Iran may have a deliverable nuclear weapon within months,” Real Clear Defense just wrote, in a piece entitled, “The Military Imperative To Strike Iran’s Nuclear Facilities,” posted this week.

Diplomacy only works if both sides want peace.

Iran, by chant and by action, couldn’t be any clearer that it does not.

• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on X @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “God-Given Or Bust: Defeating Marxism and Saving America With Biblical Truths,” is available by clicking HERE.