To the editor:

Thomas Massie said it best, “Bombing a country on the other side of the world won’t make the Epstein files go away. I thought all along that trump’s war with Iran was a gigantic distraction from the Epstein files and this settlement proves it.

The cost of the settlement includes 13 dead United States servicemen, and hundreds of wounded. It includes hundreds of millions in destroyed military equipment and base facilities. It includes depletion of military armaments severe enough that manufacturers have been called to the White House to be strong-armed into speedily increased production. It includes the world economy taking a $trillion hit. It includes the American people paying an additional $billion a day for fuel since the start of the war with no end in sight. It includes agriculture worldwide seeing fertilizer costs skyrocket. It includes billions spent on the war itself. Some critics have said the settlement is just a return to the status quo, which would be a sad result for the price paid in blood and money. But this settlement is worse than a return to the status quo. It puts Iran in a much stronger position than they were before the war. Iran now will have $300 billion for “reconstruction”.

Iran will now have the sanctions on their oil exports lifted allowing them to sell billions that they could not sell before the war.

Iran will now have the freeze on their bank accounts of over $100 billion lifted including over $24 billion in U.S. banks. The U.S. has to withdraw their forces from the proximity of Iran, whatever that means.

Iran will now be able to levy fees for ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz. And the announced reasons for the war; regime change, no ballistic missiles, and no proxies are not achieved.

That’s not the status quo, that’s Iran being rewarded! And Senator Marshall is praising the deal as a great victory. And we are no closer to seeing the Epstein files.

Ron Svaty

Ellsworth