Iran: Rewarded, Not Defeated {23 June 2026}

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A Rewarded Regime and an Unfinished Fight

The Iranian regime that seized American hostages, murdered U.S. Marines and remains committed to destroying Israel stands to receive sanctions relief, unfrozen assets and hundreds of billions in cash if a final deal is reached. Even after the interim memorandum was signed, Israeli troops uncovered a major Iranian-built Hezbollah fortress in southern Lebanon. Critics in America, Israel and across the Arab world are alarmed – and many of the hardest questions remain unanswered.

What We Know

What is being offered to Iran?

The U.S.-Iran Memorandum of Understanding kicked off a 60-day negotiating period that started June 18. With Pakistan and Qatar acting as diplomatic intermediaries, the outcome for Iran – if a final agreement is reached – includes sanctions relief, unfreezing $100 billion in assets and a new $300 billion reconstruction fund financed by Gulf states. In exchange, the U.S. is negotiating for an end to Iran’s wartime chokehold on Strait of Hormuz, the dilution of its enriched uranium and the return of UN nuclear inspectors. Bipartisan critics are pressing for major changes before the window closes. Iran would even be allowed to keep its remaining ballistic missiles, which U.S. Sen. Rick Scott rejected: “I would be fine with it if they didn’t want to kill Americans. But if somebody wants to kill me, I don’t want them to have a ballistic missile.”

What kind of regime is being rewarded?

Its war on America did not begin with this conflict. Iran has been the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism for 47 years. This designation by the U.S. State Dept. became official in 1984. The regime seized the U.S. Embassy in 1979 and held 66 Americans hostage for 444 days. Hezbollah, its Lebanese proxy, bombed the Marine barracks in Beirut, Lebanon, in 1983 and killed 241 U.S. service members. Iranian-backed militias later killed hundreds of American troops in Iraq. A signature does not change the lethal mission of this regime. Sec. of State Marco Rubio, Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe have reportedly voiced concerns that Iran will not honor the deal.

Are the United States and Israel still aligned?

The U.S. and Israel are independent nations and their interests do not always align. The friction is public. VP Vance publicly criticized Israeli ministers and warned them against “attacking the only powerful ally” they have left, telling critics they “can’t just kill their way out of solving every threat.” President Trump has been critical of Israel’s response to Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon. However, he also has threatened to go “right back to dropping bombs” on Iran if the deal collapses. Several U.S. Senate Republicans blasted the deal, including Sen. Bill Cassidy who called it the “worst foreign policy blunder in decades.” Members of the Israeli government stated that they will not be bound by a deal they did not negotiate. In contrast to Vance’s comments, U.S. Amb. to Israel Mike Huckabee reaffirmed the “unbreakable U.S.-Israel bond.”

What We Do Not Know

Is Iran’s nuclear program actually stopped?

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian vowed after the MOU signing “we will not relinquish our right to enrich uranium” – the fuel for nuclear bombs. The status of Iran’s uranium is unclear despite last June’s joint U.S.-Israel airstrikes against its main enrichment facilities and more attacks since then. The Memorandum includes language stating that Iran “shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons” – but does allow for the discussion of a nuclear energy program. Israel’s Knesset speaker insisted that Iran cannot be allowed to become a nuclear power – supporting Trump’s position.

Is the Iranian-Hezbollah war against Israel over?

Iran-backed Hezbollah terrorists continued to attack northern Israel from their bases in southern Lebanon. The Israeli Defense Forces has responded by attacking Hezbollah terrorist infrastructure. The military recently found a subterranean base with massive steel blast doors less than four miles from the border – directly planned and funded by Iran. Troops found 50 Iranian-made explosive drones ready to be launched. Days earlier, a Hezbollah strike killed four Israeli soldiers in their tank. The Memorandum includes a Lebanon ceasefire, but Israel was not a party to it and Israel’s prime minister vowed that it would maintain a security zone to stop attacks. A report indicates that current negotiations would limit Israel’s ability to respond to attacks and a ceasefire in Lebanon would be overseen by the U.S., Iran, Lebanon, Qatar and Pakistan.

What did the war actually achieve?

Various leaders and policy experts have stated different goals for ending Iran’s nuclear program, missile threat, proxy attacks and the regime itself. None of these problems have been definitively answered – just deferred for later talks. Some analysts warned that the regime treats diplomacy as a tactical weapon to buy time and secure relief while it rebuilds its arsenal. A hardline Iranian newspaper called the agreement a “surrender to the Great Satan” – America. Supporters of the deal argue it serves American interests: securing the flow of oil and stabilizing gas prices, while preventing harm to American soldiers. Critics openly complain that this deal is little different than the Obama Administration’s 2015 JCPOA agreement and reopening the Strait that was open before the war.

The next 60 days: a real deal or only a pause?

The Memorandum buys a 60-day roadmap that can quietly harden into a permanent reality – or collapse back into war. Critics in both parties insist any sanctions relief run through Congress and that a final deal carry real enforcement, no expiration dates and the removal of Iran’s uranium. A bipartisan House resolution demanded that Hezbollah be disarmed and condemned its “repeated violations of ceasefire agreements.” Israel continues to act against Iranian-backed Hezbollah aggression. An array of other details under discussion have not even been made public.

1. Iran has spent decades killing Americans

American families have grieved for nearly 50 years because of Iran’s terror – service members, diplomats and civilians killed by a regime that was at war with America – the Great Satan – long before today. Anyone who calls this “Israel’s war” insults their memory. Iran chose America as its enemy decades ago and has never stopped.

2. The claim that Israel controls America is an obvious lie

One of the oldest libels against Jews is that they secretly manipulate governments. Anyone who believes Israel controls American policies only needs to have watched recent events and reactions to the Iran negotiations. The U.S. administration has openly criticized Israel about Lebanon, the deal and what comes next. Israeli government and opposition leaders slammed the agreement. A nation that is supposedly ‘pulling the strings’ does not get reprimanded in public by the U.S. government – and then excluded from the negotiating table.

3. A regime rewarded with billions will fund more terror against Jews

Iran always finds a way to use its cash to fund those who hate, maim and kill Jews. For decades the regime has armed the terrorists who target Jewish families in Israel and around the world. Prosecutors recently charged an Iran-backed commander with plotting to firebomb a synagogue in Manhattan and Jewish centers in other U.S. cities. Armed with hundreds of billions more, the regime continues to fund plans that targets Jews wherever they are.

4. The Jewish people have outlived every empire that sought their end

Israeli President Isaac Herzog called Iran an “evil empire” – a regime that dreams of a world without the Jewish state. It will fail, as every such empire has failed. From ancient Persia to the present, tyrants who vowed to erase the Jewish people became footnotes while the Jewish people endured. Iran’s regime will be no different. The answer to this threat is not fear but resolve.

Urge Congress to act on the deal: Contact your U.S. Senators and Representative to demand a final agreement that runs through Congress, ties all sanctions relief to verified Iranian compliance, keeps the billions of dollars from Iran’s terror proxies and preserves Israel’s right to defend itself.

Reject the lie that Jews and Israel control America: When you hear that Israel controls American policy, point to the U.S. administration going its own way on Iran despite Israel’s objections – as its reactions clearly show. Defend the right of Jewish Americans to advocate for Israel and their community openly and proudly – like any other group in a democracy.

Conference of Presidents Statement on the U.S.-Iran MOU and Ongoing Negotiation

June 22, 2026

“The MOU comes after a period of unprecedented strategic and military cooperation between the U.S. and Israel that significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities. We commend President Trump’s leadership in advancing this cooperation and his commitment to preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. The American-Israeli partnership helped create the current strategic landscape and will remain essential as the U.S., Israel, and their regional partners address the challenges that lie ahead.

Ultimately, the significance of these negotiations will depend not only on whether they produce an agreement, but on several factors: the terms of any agreement that emerges, how the parties implement and enforce it, how they respond when it faces inevitable tests, whether its provisions are sufficient in light of Iran’s history of non-compliance and deception, and whether it preserves and builds upon the strategic gains achieved during the conflict. In that environment, careful oversight, informed analysis, and continued close consultation with Israel and key regional partners will be essential.”

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations is the recognized central coordinating body representing 50 national Jewish organizations on issues of national and international concern.

Click here to read the full statement.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani branded AIPAC “monsters” at a recent Brooklyn rally in support of Democratic candidates from the far-left Democratic Socialists of America group. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a bipartisan organization that advocates for strong U.S.-Israel relations and security cooperation, and supports candidates who share that goal – as countless advocacy groups across the political spectrum have done for decades.

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer condemned Mamdani: “Swap ‘AIPAC’ for ‘Jews’ and it’s the oldest antisemitic conspiracy theory in the books.” The mayor of the city with America’s largest Jewish population doubled down days later when he misquoted a Marxist philosopher in defense of his statement. He also hypocritically attacked AIPAC for doing exactly what other organizations do that fund the candidates that he endorses.

The rhetoric did not stop at the podium. A Brooklyn coffee shop banned U.S. Rep. Dan Goldman from buying coffee there again because they “don’t serve racists, fascists, homophobes or genocide enablers” – despite promising to treat all customers with “unconditional dignity.” The shop refunded his money and emphasized: “We don’t need your money (it’s probably coming from AIPAC anyways).”

Stories of Resilience

Volunteers distribute thousands of Israeli snacks, anti-BDS fliers in NYC
Former antisemitic extremist explains why he ended his 14-year “war with Jews”
Ben & Jerry’s Israel debuts flavor celebrating Israeli resilience
The Bedouin Arab who rescued a runner on Oct. 7 is now an Israeli Police officer
Jewish leaders mark America’s 250th with open letter: “The best diaspora experience”

Stories Impacting American Jews

FBI foils plot targeting AIPAC-backed politicians at White House UFC fight
Gainesville, FL, man indicted in plot to mass shoot charity’s Jewish employees
West Boca man arrested for threatening a synagogue mass shooting
San Diego nonprofit operator charged with funneling $600,000 to Hamas
United Auto Workers votes to divest from Israeli bonds
UN International School for employees’ children cancels dance after students drew swastikas in yearbooks
U.S. Sen. Van Hollen urges opposition to Israel as a presidential litmus test in 2028
Far-right YouTuber raises $20K for Cornell student who refused to “work for a jew”
Brandeis Center hosts first legal summit to strategize for antisemitism cases

Stories Impacting the U.S. and Israel

Gazan terror groups finally admit slain ‘journalists’ were fighters – Al Jazeera cameraman moonlighted as Hamas sniper
Hamas documents show Oct. 7 attack aimed to prevent Israel-Saudi normalization
Algerian TV journalist blames “Jewish lobby” for country’s World Cup loss to Argentina
Alan Greenspan – who led U.S. Federal Reserve for five terms – dies at 100
Clive Davis – influential rock-and-roll executive – dies at 94

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