IRAN COUNTDOWN – AT 11:21 A.M. ET:  There are 23 days to go to the deadline for the Iran nuclear talks to produce an agreement.  Now an Iranian official tells us that there's no trust among the parties, not a good sign.  From AFP:

A top Iranian official, in an unusual declaration Saturday, said there remains no trust between Tehran and world powers and either side could yet abandon a nuclear deal after signing.

In comments that laid bare a paradox of long-running negotiations between Iran and the West, Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said an agreement — due by June 30 — was “very slowly” nearing despite neither side trusting the other.

A final accord could rein in aspects of Iran’s nuclear program while allowing it to continue to enrich uranium in exchange for a lifting of sanctions, but breaches could see the deal being ripped up.

“Our basis is mistrust and this is the reality,” Araqchi was quoted by state television as saying at the end of the latest round of talks in Vienna with the P5+1 group of nations that has been talking to Iran for almost two years.

“We don’t trust the other side at all and they don’t trust us either,” Araqchi said, noting so-called “snapback” provisions would be as relevant to Iran as to the United States if measures are reneged on.

“Thus all the provisions in a deal… whenever each party feels the other side is violating the commitments, they can snap back and implement whatever existed before the agreement.

“We have taken every necessary measure so this would happen for us. Naturally, the other side will do the same for sanctions,” he added.

US officials have also said they are negotiating under a policy of “distrust and verify,” in touting what they say are robust safeguards built into the emerging agreement.

COMMENT:  Reagan said "trust but verify."  His agreements lasted.  The reason they lasted is that Reagan, unlike Obama, was a serious man, and a man with a spine.  His spine was enhanced by the American military power he brought into being.  Obama is reducing our power, and his spinelessness and lack of seriousness are matters of record.

We should know the story of this "agreement" in about three weeks, unless there's an extension.

June 7,  2015