Reuters is shocked to learn that Iran is still stonewalling the IAEA with regards to its nuclear program

If Iran is to be believed, they're like the "Planet Alderaan" of global warfare. They're a tiny, placid, out-of-the-way country with no ambitions regarding nuclear weapons or WMD's of any kind. Heck. Iran only has a nuclear program because it wants clean, efficient, nuclear power. The United States is the big meanie with a stockpile of Death Stars. Iran is just a timid little commune of peace-loving individuals who want to keep the lights on.

That's also the narrative that the non-interventionist left tries to sell at every opportunity. Every time Israel starts “whining” about how it's "concerned" with Iran's nuclear ambitions, enlightened Dems roll their eyes. Appeasement is clearly the "measured" course of action, and hey, what reason could we possibly have to mistrust our dear Iranian friends? They're doing everything we've asked of them and they deserve our respect. After all, if we treat them better, they'll like us more! Right? Enter Reuters:

An IAEA report obtained by Reuters showed that little substantive headway had so far been made in the U.N. agency’s long-running investigation into what it calls the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear programme. The Islamic Republic has implemented just three of five nuclear transparency steps that it was supposed to by Aug. 25 under a confidence-building deal it reached with the IAEA in November, according to the quarterly report.

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Crucially, it has not provided information on the two issues that are part of the IAEA’s investigation: alleged experiments on explosives that could be used for an atomic device, and studies related to calculating nuclear explosive yields. The report said Iran, where a president seen as pragmatic took office in 2013 and revived diplomacy with the West, told the IAEA last week that most suspicions over its programme were “mere allegations and do not merit consideration”. A Vienna-based diplomat called that statement “worrying”. "Worrying?" You don't say! Why, it's almost as if Iran has designs on something other than abundant energy! That can't be right, because very smart Democrats have assured us - time and time again - that Iran would turn over a new leaf. The Obama administration even cut them a frighteningly generous, completely lopsided, deal last year. All Iran had to do was implement some level of transparency in their nuclear operations.

The IAEA had also observed via satellite imagery “ongoing construction activity” at Iran’s Parchin military base, the report said. Western officials believe Iran once conducted explosive tests there of relevance in developing a nuclear weapon and has sought to “cleanse” it of evidence since then. Iran has long denied U.N. nuclear inspectors access to the base.

Oh. So...why did the administration think this was going to work?

Iran has been promising to cooperate with the IAEA since Hassan Rouhani was elected president last year. Rouhani's election raised hopes of a settlement of the dispute after years of tension and fears of a new Middle East war, and an interim accord was reached between Iran and the six powers in Geneva in November last year.

To be blunt, anyone - whether they're part of the media or the government - who expected the end result of this "deal" to be anything other than more stonewalling should be removed from their position immediately. An instinct that includes, in any way, a willingness to trust Iran is either the product of a faulty mind or the endgame of someone actively working against U.S. interests. This was always the inevitable outcome of the administration’s deal with the devil. One wonders when Obama will begin to "ratchet up the pressure" as he promised last year. My guess is "never." After all, he's already got his hands full pretending to deal with ISIS.