U.S., IRAN TALKS FIRST IN MORE THAN A GENERATION … STAKES ARE INCALCULABLY HIGH
BY DAN VALENTI
PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY
(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION APRIL 10-2, 2026) — This weekend will mark the most important two days of the “war” with Iran.
THE PLANET employs quotes not because Congress never authorized the president’s actions but because Israeli warmonger and terrorist head Benjamin Netanyahu declared this conflict. President Donald Trump admitted that he gave consent only because U.S. intelligence knew beforehand of Israel’s unilateral decision to start this conflagration. It was a startling admission, essentially admitting what many suspected but few wanted to believe, namely, that the Israeli lobby — not the Commander in Chief, not Congress, not the State Department — was controlling America’s foreign policy.
The world will not forget that it was Israel and the U.S. that brought on this global crisis, not Iran. Preemptive war is one thing. Prejudicial war is another.
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Be that as it may, beginning Saturday and scheduled to continue into Sunday, the United States and Iran will meet face-to-face in serious talks for the first time in a generation. Negotiations will take place in Islamabad, Pakistan, with the U.S. delegation led by Vice President J. D. Vance. The VP’s assignment signifies that Trump has tossed Iran a bone.
———- ooo ———-
One would expect such talks to be under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, but in sending Vance, Trump sends the message that he’s taking the talks seriously. Vance, a moderating influence in the White House, is the perfect choice if the negotiations are to having any chance of success.
Hampering him, however, will be the presence of hawkish businessman Steve Witkoff and Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner. Both men are Israeli cheerleaders and incapable of the clear-headedness needed in such high-level talks.
Each side enters the talks having already offered its respective “peace plans.” Trump sent Iran a 15-point proposal. Iran answered with a 10-point document. The two plans show stark differences, with the main sticking points being Iran’s ballistic missiles, its nuclear enrichment program, and control of the Straight of Hormuz, through which flows 20% of the world’s oil and natural gas. Iran wants to keep all. The U.S. insists “no.” Iran also wants a guarantee that against future attacks by the U.S. and Israel as well as war reparation in the form of cash.
———- ooo ———-
The current two-week cease-fire hangs by a sliver of a fraction of a speck of a frayed string. One the truce’s first day, Netanyahu inflamed Iran by launching 100 air strikes in Lebanon. One of them killed 189 civilians. Iran said the strike violated the ceasefire. The Israel said Lebanon wasn’t included in the cessation of hostilities. The U.S. split the difference, saying that the confusion results in an inaccurate translation of the ceasefire terms into Farsi. In response, Iran shut down the Straight, defying President Donald Trump and restricting traffic to only 5% of normal flow.
Lebanon President Joseph Aoun called Israeli’s strikes in southern Lebanon a “barbaric atrocity” tantamount to genocide. It’s clear that Netanyahu is doing all he can to scuttle the ceasefire and the weekend talks between the U.S. and Iran.
The implications for America, the Middle East, and the world are enormous, for obvious reasons. If the talks fail, there’s no telling where the situation will go.
THE PLANET wonders if the talks are simply a ruse for the U.S. to build an off-ramp out of a huge foreign policy blunder. True, America has won all of the military encounters, but we did the same in Vietnam. You’ll recall how that one turned out. In these types of tarpit foreign entanglements, winning all the battles does not equate to “winning the war.”
We will know much more come Monday.
Have a great weekend, everybody.
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“For a Gentile, everything’s kosher. For an umpire, it’s Leo Durocher” — Sir Donald Turpentine, Knight of the Bath.
“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”
LOVE TO ALL.
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It is Iran’s extremist regime, not Iran, that must end in 2026.
Similar to Germany’s extremist regime under Hitler, not Germany, that ended in 1945.
October 07th, 2023, was the largest mass killing of Jews since the Holocaust.
Israel and the U.S.A.’s War against Iran’s extremist regime has merit on many levels.
Iran’s extremist regime are mass murderers. Ending them in 2026 would be like ending Hitler 100 years ago before he rose to power.
Blogger Dan Valenti is right that nobody should want War. I hope for successful negotiations, too.
You guys are lucky if my mind-wits in my forty -sixties on here were in effect. Ok Jon. My I Q was a moxie 137 in 1970. Plus I had street smarts. Unlike you Jon.
I Also served my Country honorably and was honorably discharged. So if is not within you to stop throwing these repetitive negative stones, grow some hay and come back to your favorite home town and do something about it.
Or take a que from the Planet and fight for what you believe in.
Stop being a Buffoon.
Jonny is a gay peaceful man. You are a neandrathal who talks a big game and tries to bully people like matt cufflinks kerwood does. jonny melle for mayor of Pittsfield
My money is on this meeting blowing up in the first ten minutes. Jared is representing Israel and Israel does not want this war over. And since they own the US government lock, stock and barrel the whole thing is merely a charade. Almost all senators and congressman from BOTH parties accept AIPAC money.
American Israel Public Affairs Cmte Profile: Recipients • OpenSecrets
Genuinely appreciated this one.
Escalation with no clear control.
A ceasefire that’s already cracking.
And sudden, high-stakes talks that feel less like strategy and more like urgency.
This is a situation slipping, and everyone can feel it whether they want to admit it or not.
Another history illiterates opinion,
Napoleon when faced with stalled conflict, escalated to gain advantage.Can Iran escalate?
Iran has one card, and it has no effect on America.
Closing the straight, hurts China and Iran.
Icymi – Iran is now targeting Saudi pipeline (7,000,000 gal a day) because, next move is destroying Kharg island and Irans economy along with china –
As your TDS addled, if Putin can’t obtain cheap Iranian drones, its attacks and defenses , are severely limited.
Trump and rest of world, are praying, Irans hubris and fanaticism, allows further destruction.
“It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt”.
Switzer early 1900s
In your case posted.
Try reading a book…
Tom
4/9/25@8:00am
New Planet guideline I e Trump negotiaons.
NO MORE AUTO BOT thumbs down for anything negative Republican.
No more thumbs down for J Mel before being read.
Fritz Pat Joe Marcus and all the other stooges on heresy ,mad trapper …no more auto bot Thumbs up.
New regime..The Eagle and Planet will exclusively control the Straight on here. Nothing commented or published unless agreed by both party’s.
Dan will start charging for this site. Or nothing goes through.
All of these items will be abided by in this truce. Unless it involves other entities, such as Lebanon and the current misinformation of that current deal.
And Dan will protect the enimemy of all characters on here unlike one c I a who is not reporting American Casualties and the unprotected soldiers in the Arab states. Protect our Soldiers Orange Aid.
Exactly Tom. Vendetta ChatGPT and Meanwhile are so blind with TDS, they just repeat democRAT/MSM anti-Trump talking points without any thought to it whatsoever.
These are the same people who scream, “we don’t need to be the world’s policeman,” and when Trump is threatening to end the US’s military campaign against Iran, because as you posted Tom, the US (Trump) has accomplished what WE NEEDED to do and not be the world’s (Deep State funded wars) policeman anymore.
How quick people scramble to post “Trump lost,” “another endless war,” “you won’t see Trump’s kids sign up for the draft.” Did I miss any?
So what is it? Do you want another Iraq-type war? Or worry about American interests and American taxpayers once and for all.
I choose the later.
Vendetta or Meanwhile, remind us what you posted about on here when Bathhouse Barry Obama drone struck and killed US citizens in the Middle East. I don’t recall. Not to mention, Barry wasn’t known as the Drone Strike King for nada.
Tom, you’re acting like this is a simple history lesson with Napoleon Bonaparte.
You keep saying Iran only has one move, but that’s not true. There’s a lot more going on than just one card.
And bringing up Putin and drones doesn’t explain everything either. All that was said is that things feel messy right now. The ceasefire isn’t strong, and everything feels rushed.
You don’t have to agree.. but calling someone “illiterate” just makes it sound like you are mad not that your actually right. That’s boomer energy.
I agree with Democrat John Fetterman that President Trump is making the world a safer place by disarming Iran. Doing nothing or giving Iran billions in cash like Obama did is just not an option. I remember 10 years ago people feeling sorry for Iran and saying they really are trying to comply with the rest of the world, but they were funding terrorist organizations with all of that cash from Obama. I wish we could just hide our heads in the sand and only worry about our own country, but we can’t have this terrorist supporting country having all of these dangerous weapons especially nuclear weapons, but even ballistic missiles.
Thanks, PAT. That’s a defendable point of view.
With ALL this being said. We ALL Love the Planet!,,,,ya just can’t spell Valentine with our spelling……just sayin….
That’s the point. They don’t have nuclear weapons. Without Barack’s payment. Negotiation before War…. every time. Thought your boy was the deal maker. Buffoon.
And Pat. How’s your promised economy and Russia Ukraine end promised by your leader doing. Buffoon
Hilarious article about PHS needing new windows and doors “but can the city afford it”?
I have two suggestions to the mayor who is having trouble with this conundrum.
2. Perhaps let the Goldkang Group pay for their own ballpark multi-use emporium and use that taxpayer savings for a taxpayer owned project