As Iran tensions mount, beware the hidden hand of this two-faced US ally

While Washington searches for ways to weaken Iran’s murderous rulers, our supposed NATO ally Turkey is working overtime to keep the mullahs alive — and in power.This week’s diplomatic tug-of-war over US-Iran negotiations is a win for Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkey’s Islamist strongman, who has led a cynical campaign to stall for time and block US and Israeli military action against the Islamic Republic after its brutal crackdown on civilian protesters.He’s feigning concern that military action would spark “regional instability,” but his real goal is simple: Keep Iran’s theocracy from falling — and stop the emergence of a free, democratic state that would shatter his regional ambitions.Along with Qatar and Egypt, Erdogan has reportedly proposed to both sides a three-year “deal” under which Iran would agree to limit its uranium enrichment, restrict its use of ballistic missiles and pause arms shipments to its regional alliesIt would do nothing to relieve the suffering of Iran’s people.And it would ensure the regime’s stability — allowing it to outlast President Donald Trump’s remaining time in office.It’s a smokescreen, and Trump must not fall for it.The president’s negotiating team should be clear-eyed: Ankara’s priority is not peace, but regime survival.For Erdogan, a crippled Islamist regime in Tehran is far more useful than a democratic one that might align with the West.Why? Because Iran’s terror empire benefits him.By keeping Hezbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in Gaza armed and operational, Tehran helps Erdogan weaken Israel — a strategic obsession for the Turkish leader.A constantly threatened Israel allows Erdogan to posture as the Middle East’s next great power broker, claiming leadership while chaos reigns.That’s why, as US naval and air assets assemble across the region, Tehran is clinging to Ankara’s overtures — seking negotiations to avoid a final reckoning.Europe has labeled Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards ...