Versailles II: Trump signs Iran deal in the one place historians wouldn't recommend

The symbolism was striking: U.S. President Donald Trump, a dealmaker by trade, signed a memorandum of understanding in Versailles, France, committing Washington to help finance Iran's reconstruction with $300 billion. The location, the site of the treaty that ended World War I and is often blamed for sowing the seeds of future conflict, drew immediate criticism.

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a jaw-dropping, horrific surrender document complete with hundreds of billions in reparations

Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice called the MoU a "jaw-dropping, horrific surrender document complete with hundreds of billions in reparations," labeling it "the biggest national-security blunder in decades." Analysts questioned whether French President Emmanuel Macron had orchestrated the signing at Versailles as a form of diplomatic "trolling." Even some of Trump's allies expressed dismay. Former Vice President Mike Pence warned the agreement echoed "appeasement" policies Republicans had long criticized. Conservative commentator Mark Levin predicted public anger.

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the biggest national-security blunder in decades.

However, Trump dismissed his critics, writing on social media that those who questioned his toughness on Iran were "jealous, bad people, or stupid." He pointed to a rising stock market, falling oil prices, and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz as evidence of his strategy's success. The world, meanwhile, largely breathed a sigh of relief that the immediate conflict had ended.

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Whoever got him to sign it at Versailles. Genius. The final humiliation.

Adding a layer of geopolitical intrigue, Pakistan, which had positioned itself as a key facilitator of the deal, was notably absent from the signing ceremony. This absence drew commentary from online critics, particularly given Pakistan's own record.

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the appeasement policies Republicans spent years attacking in the Obama era.