In this Grayzone segment, Max Blumenthal and Aaron Mate analyze the Trump administration’s Memorandum of Understanding with Iran as an admission of defeat in a short-lived regime change war launched in late February 2026. They argue that Trump’s initial calls for Iranian regime collapse, followed by bombing campaigns and an oil blockade, failed due to Iran’s resilience, control over the Strait of Hormuz, strikes on US assets, and threats to Gulf allies—restoring a pre-war status quo without lifting crippling sanctions. The discussion frames the conflict as a “Zionist war” pushed by Netanyahu and proxies like the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, criticizes neoconservative backlash, and compares the deal to the unresolved Korean War armistice, warning that sanctions and Israeli actions could sabotage any lasting peace.
