IT'S CALLED SURRENDER.

Predictably, Jake Johnson with Common Dreams takes the side of the mullahs.  "Iranian Official Says Trump Rejected Peace Proposal That Was ‘Reasonable and Generous.’"  Foreign Ministry mouthpiece Esmail Baghaei is whining like an overindulged child.  “Is our proposal for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz unreasonable?  Is establishing peace and security across the entire region irresponsible?”

Yes, and yes, because what remains of his government would like to control ingress to and egress from the Arabian Gulf, and Herr Baghaei's vision of peace and security still includes paid gangbangers masquerading as religious believers chanting "death to Israel," internal security forces punishing dissent with death, and work continuing on a nuclear weapon.

They're playing for time to do all those things.

Citing an “informed source,” Iran’s semi-official Tasnim News Agency reported Monday that “Iran’s text emphasizes the necessity of an immediate end to the war and guarantees against renewed aggression toward Iran, along with several other issues within the framework of a political understanding.”

“Iran’s text also stresses the necessity of lifting US sanctions and ending the war on all fronts, as well as Iranian management of the Strait of Hormuz should certain commitments be fulfilled by the United States,” Tasnim added. “The necessity of ending the naval blockade against Iran immediately after the signing of the initial understanding is also among Iran’s emphasized demands, the source said.”

As if National Command Authority will be immediately ending a naval blockade that appears to be working in order to hold meetings to establish a framework for developing a process that perhaps will yield a six-meter Isfahan rug, or perhaps a container of fissile material.  That might work for Obama's diplomats.

Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, wrote late Sunday that it appears Iran is offering to compromise significantly on its uranium stockpile and future enrichment.

“The US demands that the entire Iranian stockpile be shipped out of the country. In the past, Tehran rejected shipping any of it out; it only agreed to downblending it. In its latest proposal, however, it offers to have some of it diluted and the rest shipped to a third country,” Parsi wrote. “As I understand it... Iran is also offering to accept an arrangement in which it will not need to enrich uranium at all for 12 years. This is not the 15-20 years Trump originally wanted, but longer than the 3-5 years Terhan originally offered.”

“That Iran is willing to pause enrichment at all is a significant concession that I am not sure is fully appreciated by the American side,” he continued. “It remains unclear to me why this and the stockpile have become so central in Trump’s perspective. His earlier red line was simply no nuclear weapons... The insistence on shipping the entire stockpile out appears to be another example of Trump allowing America’s red lines to be replaced by Israel’s. It would be a shame if the entire negotiation collapses over this issue.”

One concession.  Perhaps as the anaconda's coils tighten, more concessions will be forthcoming.  "Positive change is unlikely to occur until Iran is ruled by a regime that seeks freedom for the Iranian people, ends its support for international terrorism, and supports an inclusive polity where every Iranian has an opportunity to succeed."  As far as a United State's red line becoming Israel's, well, the mullahs already have missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv and from time to time the mullahs' hotheads have threatened to flip a hot rock at Tel Aviv, once they get some.

Hot Air's Duane Patterson is of the view that further tightening of the coils might be Our President's best policy.

Donald Trump still sees a future for Iran - one free of the terrorist regime at their weakest state after nearly half a century in power, and he really doesn't want to cause wholesale death and destruction against people that only yearn for freedom.

But this is where the remnants of the rump regime miscalculate President Trump yet again. He does not want to act and finish the job. That's very different than whether he's willing to do so if the situation warrants it.

A week ago on the Hugh Hewitt Show, Trump was asked a throwaway question at the very end of the interview about whether he prefers to go for the green in two on a par 5 if he's hit a good drive, or whether he lays up and takes the easy birdie. After talking about his golf game, something he very much enjoys, Hugh encouraged him to go for the green in two vis-à-vis Iran. Hit them hard, and quit trying to negotiate a deal by which they'll never abide.

That might be where Our President is heading, although it will be more in sorrow than in anger.

The President wants to save Iran's civilian infrastructure. He doesn't want to preserve the regime, but just the ability for the next iteration of what life and governance in Iran looks like to be able to have a country that can recover and prosper. The regime only wants to stay in power. As to the lengths they're willing to go to in order to maintain power, they're really no different than American Democrats.

There are parallels, yes, between Iran's Islamic government and Democrat governance in the States.  Those are for developing another day.

This week, Our President is on travel, with a state visit to China at the end of the week.  Generally, such a visit puts a bow on agreements the area specialists have worked out in advance.  Whether there will be any surprises, or any fireworks, remains to be seen.

Let the anaconda's coils tighten.