To the Editor:
Re “Neither War Nor a Truce Ended Risks” (news analysis, front page, June 22):
The first paragraph of the agreement between Iran and the United States specifies, among other conditions, that the two countries will refrain from “the threat or use of force against each other.” But President Trump has repeatedly violated this pledge by threatening to resume bombing if things do not go to his satisfaction.
How can Iranians (or Americans) take our pledges seriously when our top leader repeatedly violates them?
Paul deLespinasse Corvallis, Ore.
To the Editor:
For the ongoing peace talks to be successful, at least one change is desperately needed: President Trump must be muzzled.
The man who so desperately wants a Nobel Peace Prize is once again threatening death and destruction to the Iranian civilization and warning the Iranian negotiators that they will never see their country again if they don’t reach a peace agreement — all during the actual peace negotiations.
As things stand, these talks are doomed.
Robert Streeter Southampton, N.J.
To the Editor:
With respect to the litany of blunders associated with the Iran war, perhaps the biggest was the assumption of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel that President Trump would remain a steadfast ally when the going got tough.
Was it hubris or simply a lack of attention that led Mr. Netanyahu to conclude that he would be treated differently from anyone else who ever partnered with Mr. Trump?
George Krevet Wharton, N.J.
To the Editor:
Senator Bill Cassidy, Republican of Louisiana, criticized President Trump’s agreement with Iran with a tirade on X, ending with “This is the worst foreign policy blunder in decades.”
Given the president’s record so far, “the worst foreign policy blunder in weeks” would have been safer.
William Goldman Los Angeles
To the Editor:
Re “With the Iran Deal, Trump Tries to Save Himself,” by Thomas L. Friedman (column, June 20):
Marco Rubio may have the requisite foreign policy bona fides to serve as secretary of state, but his influence in the geopolitical arena has been muted.
Despite an impressive résumé, the seasoned statesman’s role in the U.S.-Iran peace negotiations has been eclipsed by a team of foreign policy novices: Vice President JD Vance; Steve Witkoff, the special envoy to the Middle East; and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law. The backgrounds of Mr. Witkoff and Mr. Kushner — in venture capital, law and real estate — represent a sharp departure from proven diplomatic statecraft.
Past administrations depended on geopolitical experts in international law, history or intelligence, such as George Shultz, Henry Kissinger and Zbigniew Brzezinski. Not the Trump administration. Cronyism and nepotism rule the day.
This lack of specialized experience invited a dangerous power imbalance at the negotiating table. Despite America’s superior military, the Iranian delegation, with seasoned veteran diplomats of all stripes, held a strategic advantage over the American neophytes.
The end result: America’s team got its clock cleaned.
Jim Paladino Tampa, Fla.
A Memory of Dad
To the Editor:
Re “Fathers Have Softened. How Lucky for Their Kids,” by Frank Bruni (Opinion, June 20):
I read Mr. Bruni’s essay and saw my dad in his brothers. My generation (I am 80) did not really have warm and fuzzy fathers. Even though I was the girl kid, my father and I were friends, sometime buddies and even partners in crime.
We installed a galvanized pipe sprinkler system, and he taught me to thread pipe. He showed me how to sweat a joint in copper pipe, taught me to fish (yes, and clean the fish) and treated me like a human being.
Dad, a senior executive in a national company, was one of my best friends while I was growing up. He told me to always follow my dream, not do what I thought my parents or anyone else wanted.
He drove me to the church for my wedding, we talked, we laughed and we cried a little. I miss him.
Lynne Owens Tucson, Ariz.
N.J., N.M., N.Y.
To the Editor:
Re “NYNJ Stadium? A Cross-State Kick in the Teeth” (front page, June 18):
Those of us who live in New Mexico appreciate the important role that our state plays in separating New York and New Jersey in the alphabetical list of states and their abbreviations. We feel that it is somewhat akin to the role played by the Hudson River.
Guy Gronquist Santa Fe, N.M.
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