Op-ed:
Victory Not Delivered
By: Diane Sori / The Patriot
Factor
This opinion piece is my opinion alone, and does not necessarily
represent the views of blogspot.or google.com.
"Victorious
warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to
war first and then seek to win." - Sun
Tzu, The
Art of War, written
at
the end of China's “Spring
and Autumn”
period (770–476 BCE),
Words
of strength, words of preparation, and words of courage spoken in the
quest for military victory all those many centuries ago...words that are the direct opposite of what we have been hearing for months now, as in
”let's
make a deal” with Iran.
And
sadly, a
deal...the
“Memorandum
of Understanding”
(MoU) it's being called...was indeed a deal made with the enemy...a
deal that in actuality favors and emboldens that enemy while what is
actually our (and Israel's) true military victory is being pushed to
the proverbial wayside.
And
here I speak of our and Israel's war with Iran...a war that saw bits
of the regime's terrorist heads being “taken
out”
one by one courtesy of Israel's Mossad and bombs that did indeed go
boom. However, over the past few months we've been forced to listen
to words about deals hopefully being forged with terrorists that saw
extension after extension being given to the enemy...and while it
pains me to say this, I believe, in part, that it's being done in a
quest for one man's hoped for “Nobel
Peace Prize.”
"Victorious
warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to
war first and then seek to win." - Sun Tzu, The
Art of War
And
win we have not for we...the United States of America...the world's
#1 “Super
Power”...have
actually lost said war via “appeasement”
and “capitulation”
to those whose battle cry remains, “Death
to America, Death to Israel”...the
very words still being chanted in the minds of jihadists even as they
sign pieces of paper with fingers crossed behind their backs.
"It
is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it."
-
General Douglas MacArthur words spoken in an address
to the cadets at the U.S.
Military Academy at West Point
on May
12, 1962.
And
so while the logistics and instruments of war itself have changed
greatly over the millennia, MacArthur's words spoken then garner new
meaning now as they reach the pinnacle of importance, Why
so...because, in my opinion, President Trump never actually intended
to win the war with Iran, at least not in the conventional sense, but
to reach a stalemate of sorts where both sides could “save
face,” and
do so while twisting the rhetoric surrounding this war to fit
their own personal needs and political agendas.
In the case of Iran the obvious is very clear in that the regime desperately wanted to hold onto power; they wanted all the protests to end; and to
bring their death wishes for America and Israel to fruition, or to at
least spew the rhetoric surrounding said wishes to help keep the
Iranian people in line.
And
as for our goal, besides the main issue of Iran not developing a nuclear
weapon, I believe our goal was to neutralize, if you will, the
politically damaging grip the mullahs had on the people of Iran while
hopefully seeing Iranian oil flow more freely so as to help bring
down prices at the pump and at the grocery store here at home before November's mid-term elections. Why so...because Trump knows
that the majority of people vote, especially at midterm time, with
their pocketbook...as in what they can and/or cannot afford to
purchase...and that right now the American consumer's pocketbooks
continue to take direct hits from Trump's not so wonderful economic
policies along with his foreign policy faux pas.
President
Trump's “The
Art of the Deal”
mindset...the central jump off point, and 40-year old formula for his personal economic successes...it has indeed proven that while his formula was extremely successful some decades ago in regards to the making of real
estate and construction deals, it is not working out too well now for either our economy, nor our standing on the world stage in regards to
the global markets, nor is it in regards to making deals with folks who continue to sign said deals with fingers still being crossed behind their ever deceitful backs.
“A
battle is won by him who is firmly resolved to win it."
-
These were the words of Russian
author Leo Tolstoy in his 1869 novel, “War
and Peace,” where his belief that moral
fortitude and unwavering determination do often become the deciding
factors in overcoming challenges faced during times of war.
And
President Trump could learn a few things from Tolstoy's words about
loyalty, friendship, obligations, and simple right from wrong...that
is if he can put his “I,
I, I...me, me, me”
ego aside for a bit...for at the recent G7 Summit, our president had
the unmitigated gall to tell our staunchest ally and war partner
Israel...and its great Prime
Minister Benjamin Netanyahu...that Israel should be “thrilled”
by the deal that the U.S. signed with Iran because it means, “they’re
not going to be nuked.”
And
if that's not enough our president had to rub salt into Israel's
wounds, with his words that the worst case scenario would be that
Israel would
still survive any potential Iranian attack no matter their continuing actions in
Lebanon. But Trump being Trump could not leave it at that as he had
to add that, “Israel's
fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed in
the fighting." Exasperating for sure.
I guess Trump cannot accept as fact that Israel has been fighting for
it's very survival as the “Jewish State” since 1947. And
now with Hezbollah directly supported by Iran, it took unmitigated
gall to address Israel about its “defensive
actions”...especially when it's already been stated by Iran
that once sanctions are lifted they pledge to refund and rearm
Hezbollah, but not a word from Trump about that.
And
how sad is it that Trump's guarantees regarding Israel aren't worth
the paper they're printed on nor are his words of Israel's survival,
because the fact is that Israel was deliberately left out of any and
all negotiations that determined not just our and Iran's fate, but
Israel's fate as well,
And
to make matters worse Trump did so knowing well that Israel
strongly opposed the deal made...the deal that was on “hold” when I started writing this article, what with Iran still demanding that Israel completely
leave Lebanon...which is surely not going to happen...along with the
fact that said deal only included an Iranian “pledge”
not to obtain a nuclear weapon, and to merely discuss making further
concessions...nuclear and otherwise...during follow-up negotiations
over the next few months.
But now as I finish writing this this article the first round of negotiations are taking place in Switzerland headed by (Israel defaming) JD Vance even after Iran had again shut down the Strait of Hormuz just as the blockade was beginning to be lifted. In fact, President Trump today warned Iran that the U.S. “would hammer the Islamic Republic” if it didn’t immediately open the Strait of Hormuz and rein in its terrorist proxies, most especially Hezbollah. Another “red line” of sorts now being drawn, probably just another extension in the making...for threats without action only go so far before they become laughable at best, especially when it's starting to seem that Iran has been playing us all along, Many of us who have questioned Trump's making deals with terrorists from the beginning are no longer standing alone for key players “of name” are also starting to see the truth that Iran has been playing us all
along as witnessed by responses we never thought we would hear.
For
example let's start with these words which sum up the situation quite
well,
“With the United States or without the United States, we will act
and will not allow Iran to obtain nuclear weapons.” Those
were the words of Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen, after Netanyahu
himself publicly stated that this deal is not and will not be
binding for Israel, as Israel will rightfully defend herself, and
might I add my own words with no permission from Donald Trump needed.

In
fact, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said the deal is “bad
for Israel and the entire free world;” while our Secretary of State Marco Rubio...a staunch supporter of
Israel...reportedly opposed the deal (and his face at the G7 when
standing beside Trump shows both trepidation and disgust); Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
opposed the deal and had urged further military action instead, as did CIA
Chief John Radcliffe. Also, Senator Lindsay Graham, a staunch
supporter and friend of President Trump told him that, “you
must remember who you're dealing with;” but
apparently Trump did not.
Also, U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee called the
deal out after Trump recently stated that, “Israel
would not exist without the U.S.” which
is arrogance personified; while our former Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo, who also opposes this deal, warned Trump against
“trusting the regime” as
“the radical regime will inevitably weaponize any cash relief to
fund global terror.”
“Victory
at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long
and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival.”
-
Winston Churchill's words spoken on May
13, 1940,
during his first
speech to the House of Commons as Prime Minister.
Sadly, President
Trump refuses to understand that this deal is the very antithesis of
survival. Why so...because it gives more power to Iran, while shielding their proxy army Hezbollah as per Trump's own words that,
“Iran
has a right to limited ballistic missiles” Simply,
this deal sets no limit on how many such missiles Iran can have
while giving Iran sanctions relief which, in turn, will see them funneling the monies garnered into their war chest instead of helping the Iranian
people because the regime remains in place.
This
deal...this “Memorandum of Understanding” is, in my opinion, no better than Obama's
deal with Iran...the deal that actually set Iran on a path to a
nuclear bomb...but for whatever reason Trump and his “Trump
can do no wrong”
supporters refuse to see that fact.
“Houston”...there
truly remains a problem, a problem that started with last summer's
joint U.S./Israel military partnership where we had the military
advantage over the regime, but Trump actually gave said advantage
away. How so...by his refusing to finish (or let Israel finish) the
job he led us, the Iranian people, and Israel herself to believe
would be done.
And
now as Iran will surely once again try to play what is the “on
again, off again” hoped for extension game, Trump continues saying that the “Memorandum
of Understanding”
is Iran's
“unconditional surrender,”
thus turning a rightfully just war into but a mockery of itself
for “appeasement”
and
“capitulation”
are now and will always remain the antithesis of victory. Remember, President Ronald Reagan took down the entirety of the Soviet Union and ended the “Cold War” with these six words, "Mr. Gorbechev, tear down this wall." President Trump has yet to take down the country that is Iran. We had hoped for more from this president, but sadly President Trump has yet to deliver the victory he had
promised. Case closed.
Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.
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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!
Tomorrow, Tuesday, June 23rd from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Victory Not Delivered' 'The Deal - Pragmatism vs. Emotionalism’; and important news of the day. Tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE.'