By Gloria Ogbonna
Former Vice President Mike Pence voiced strong concerns Tuesday over President Donald Trump’s emerging agreement with Iran, arguing that the deal appears to be a form of “appeasement” toward a longtime adversary of the United States and Israel.
Speaking during an appearance on CNN’s The Source, Pence said he supports Trump’s previous decisions to confront Iran militarily but remains deeply skeptical about any agreement that could ease pressure on the Iranian regime without securing major concessions.
Pence began by emphasizing Iran’s decades-long hostility toward both the United States and Israel, describing the Iranian government as an enduring threat to regional and global stability.
“Iran has been at war with the United States and our cherished ally Israel for 47 years,” Pence said. He noted that he strongly supported Trump’s decision to take direct action against Iran’s leadership and military infrastructure, calling it a historic shift in American policy toward Tehran.
While acknowledging that Trump has earned some flexibility in seeking a diplomatic resolution to ongoing tensions, Pence said he remains unconvinced that Iran can be trusted to honor any agreement.
“I have very real concerns,” Pence stated. “I just don’t trust the Iranians.”
Drawing on his experience as vice president, as well as his service on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Pence said he has spent years reviewing intelligence and national security assessments regarding Iran’s activities. According to Pence, Iran has a long history of deception, particularly when it comes to its nuclear ambitions.
“I’ve been quite close to these issues from my time in the White House, including many briefings in the Situation Room,” he explained. “The Iranians, particularly regarding their nuclear ambitions, have essentially a legacy of lies.”
Pence expressed concern over reports surrounding a potential memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran, saying the framework being discussed appears dangerously similar to policies he has long criticized.
“At least from what we’re hearing, this potential memorandum of understanding smacks of appeasement,” Pence said.
He compared the proposed approach to what he describes in his book as a recurring tendency among some political leaders to seek accommodation with hostile regimes rather than confronting them directly. Pence argued that both progressive foreign policy advocates and some isolationist voices on the political right have promoted policies that risk weakening America’s global leadership role.
“The progressive left has long embraced appeasement toward adversaries like Iran,” Pence said. “But there are also voices on the populist right who would have America pull back from its role as leader of the free world.”
Pence warned that the current geopolitical environment is not the time for the United States to retreat from international leadership or make concessions that could strengthen Iran’s position.
“I don’t think this is the time to pull back,” he said. “I don’t think this is a moment for appeasement.”
The former vice president urged Trump to maintain firm negotiating demands and ensure that any agreement with Tehran includes sweeping commitments from the Iranian government.
According to Pence, those requirements should include the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program, the elimination of its ballistic missile capabilities, a formal end to its support for terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East, and guarantees protecting freedom of navigation through the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
Pence concluded by stressing that any lasting peace agreement must address the core security concerns that have defined U.S.-Iran relations for decades. Without those measures, he suggested, any deal could risk empowering a regime that American leaders have long viewed as one of the nation’s most dangerous adversaries.
Source Breitbart
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