Tuesday, June 17, 2025

06/17 Links Pt1: Israel cannot settle for a temporary military win, it must topple the Islamic regime; The Simple Reasons Behind Trump’s Support for ‘Operation Rising Lion’

From Ian:

Armin Rosen: Can Israel End Iran’s Nuclear Program?
The United States is the only country in the world with the ability to destroy the Fordow nuclear facility quickly from the air, something we could accomplish by dropping a couple 15-ton Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on the most important and heavily protected piece of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Such a strike would potentially reset the entirety of international arms control.

Since the early 1970s, the world has depended on the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) regime, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the U.N. Security Council to maintain a global system that regulates the spread and development of nuclear weapons technology, placing American adversaries like China and Russia at the apex of the arms control system and creating layers of bureaucracy and diplomacy that would-be proliferators have learned to exploit. Pakistan, India, and North Korea have all built nuclear arsenals in defiance of the NPT. Until this week, Iran was very close to joining them.

The global arms control regime never considered Fordow—or, for that matter, Yongbyon, the site of North Korea’s nuclear breakthroughs in the mid-’90s—to be sufficiently serious a threat to global peace to warrant military action. Interestingly enough, the three most recent instances of a country using force to stop an in-progress nuclear program—namely, the Israeli attacks on Iraq, Syria, and Iran—were launched by a state that isn’t a signatory to the NPT. So far the United States has declined to attack North Korean and Iranian nuclear sites. If Donald Trump were to reverse course and bomb Fordow, he would reorient all of global nonproliferation around American strategic judgment and leadership. A successful U.S. attack on Fordow would establish a precedent that a would-be atomic scofflaw couldn’t ignore, with Washington acting as the final bulwark against the spread of nuclear weapons in cases where the NPT regime failed.

But what if Trump decides stanching the tide of nuclear weapons is a job better left to the Chinas and Russias of the world? What if the Israelis are really on their own here? One of the big unknowns of Operation Rising Lion is the extent of the damage Israel has been able to inflict on the Iranian nuclear program so far. Clarifying the issue requires both scientific expertise and deep knowledge of the entire Iranian nuclear-industrial complex.

Almost no one on earth is more qualified to talk about Israel’s progress against the Iranian bomb than the physicist and former IAEA inspector David Albright, founder and president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS). The institute has already published a detailed summary of the likely impact of Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. I spoke to Albright on Monday afternoon to get an update on where things stand. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.
Israel cannot settle for a temporary military win, it must topple the Islamic regime
Israel’s immediate military actions have, by all accounts, been successful in degrading Tehran’s most critical threats. The three pillars of the regime's threat – its nuclear program, its ballistic missile arsenal, and its global terror network – have been shaken. But to believe these setbacks are permanent is to ignore decades of history. The Islamic Republic’s ambition is resilient. Its nuclear program, though damaged, retains its most crucial asset: the knowledge to build a bomb. The scientists may be gone, the centrifuges shattered, but the blueprints remain. History shows us that after every setback, Tehran has rebuilt its program with greater speed, sophistication, and secrecy. To allow this regime to survive is to guarantee that it will rise from the rubble more determined than ever to cross the nuclear threshold, this time building deeper, more fortified sites, and learning from every Israeli success.

Similarly, its ballistic missile program is not merely a strategic asset; it is a core pillar of its regional dominance and its primary threat against the Israeli home front. While stockpiles can be destroyed and launch sites cratered, the industrial base and the engineering expertise remain. The regime’s leaders are driven by ideological and strategic imperative to maintain and advance this capability. They will rebuild, and they will aim for missiles that are faster, more precise, and capable of overwhelming any defense system.

Finally, the regime’s tentacular support for terrorism has been its primary method of waging war for decades. From Hezbollah in Lebanon to the Houthis in Yemen and militias in Iraq, this proxy network is Iran’s way of bleeding its enemies without risking a direct state-on-state war. Disrupting weapons convoys and eliminating commanders are necessary tactical actions, but they do not address the source of the cancer. As long as the head of the snake remains in Tehran, it will continue to fund, arm, and direct its legion of proxies to sow chaos and violence on Israel’s borders.

The nature of this regime is not subject to negotiation. It will not be pacified by diplomacy or deterred by temporary military defeats. Its commitment to regional hegemony and the destruction of Israel is woven into its very DNA.

Therefore, Israel faces a stark choice. It can heed the calls for de-escalation, enjoy a fleeting moment of victory, and allow a wounded and vengeful regime to reconstitute its strength for the next, more lethal, round. Or, it can commit to a policy that sees this conflict through to its only logical conclusion: to topple the regime once and for all. It is time to stop trimming the branches of the poison tree and focus on uprooting it entirely.
Andrew Fox: How This Phase of the Israel-Iran War Will End
With that being said, Andrew Fox is fairly optimistic, writing that “this war is won already.” He explains:

Israeli air supremacy has decimated Iran’s military infrastructure. At the same time, Iran’s missile salvos appear to be diminishing in scale daily as the IDF degrades Iranian launcher capability. Missiles have been intercepted for the most part, although they continue to inflict casualties.

Although Iran insists it will not negotiate under fire, its backchannel diplomacy conveys a different narrative. The regime seeks a face-saving way out. This is a surrender.

But the details of a negotiated peace could vary, and in the worst-case scenario, Fox writes,

the regime would frame it as a heroic stand: Iran “resisted Zionist aggression,” inflicted damage on Israel, and emerged intact. State media would highlight Israeli casualties and missile damage as proof of Iranian strength, while portraying international ceasefire efforts as evidence that the world fears Iran’s power. This narrative of resilience could temporarily bolster the regime’s fragile legitimacy.

However, this “victory” would be highly costly and precarious. Israeli strikes have devastated Iran’s military infrastructure, degraded the leadership of the [Revolutionary Guard], and set back its nuclear program, albeit not permanently. The economy, already crippled by sanctions, would be in an even worse condition, with oil facilities, airports, and industrial sites all damaged. Rebuilding would take years.

If Iran does not find a way to reach a deal, Israel will capitalize on its advantage and try to collapse the Iranian regime. The IDF, having achieved air supremacy, will target the regime’s backbone: command bunkers, nuclear facilities, oil infrastructure, and symbols of state authority.

At this stage, there is nothing at all to stop Israel from relentlessly pounding Iran until it surrenders. There seems to be no shortage of ammunition, and American resupply can happen at will. Despite international media attempts to portray a tit-for-tat scenario, it has been an overwhelming victory for Israel. This is not even a debate.


Seth Mandel: The Simple Reasons Behind Trump’s Support for ‘Operation Rising Lion’
Conspiracy theories always overcomplicate the situation. As the saying goes, when you hear hoofbeats think horses, not zebras. So as much fun as some people are having by playing their own game of American Kremlinology, there are several plain reasons why President Trump has been vocally supportive of Israel’s mission in Iran so far.

Stripping away the overly clever or sinister hypotheticals is a useful way to assess what Trump sees when he looks at the events of the past week, because it is what anybody would see when casting a clear-eyed glance at the Mideast.

Trump loves a winner: “The Israeli military estimates it will achieve its objectives against Iran’s nuclear program within a week or two,” the Times of Israel reports today after the IDF briefed journalists. Regardless of that time frame, the story notes, Israel “has so far bombed two Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities, Natanz and Isfahan, and caused significant damage to both. It has also killed at least nine key nuclear scientists who were working on a bomb, and struck several other facilities supporting Iran’s nuclear program, including offices and command centers.”

Israel’s operational control of Iranian airspace is remarkable. Even Trump himself couldn’t contain his enthusiasm, saying “We now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran”.

So far, Trump likes what he sees and doesn’t want to stop seeing it.

Art of the deal: Trump isn’t at the flea market. He set his terms and Iran knows where to find him when Khamenei is ready to accept them. Israel is making Trump’s job much easier while bolstering his self-image as a guy who won’t let the Iranians take him to the cleaners the way they did Barack Obama, as Trump said upon launching his first successful presidential campaign.

Promises made, promises kept: Trump said he would stop Iran from developing a nuclear weapon. If all he has to do is sit back and watch it happen, why wouldn’t he? He’s the U.S. president, it’s on his watch, and he knows he’ll be forever credited with the outcome whether or not he sends U.S. bombers to finish the job. Benny Gantz, Bibi Netanyahu’s rival, was on CNN today praising Trump to the hilt. For his part, Netanyahu has no trouble doing the same on a regular basis. And it’s not mere flattery, it’s the truth: If Israel finishes the job, even if it does so alone, Trump will genuinely deserve a lot of credit for it.
Seth Mandel: Lone Ranger
The rest of the right-wing Manosphere followed Carlson into the bunker, a parade of podcasting bros declaring Trump a traitor to the cause of America First.

Who did they think was in charge of the Trumpist movement, exactly, if not Trump? A league of second-rate Alex Jones shapeshifters?

Lastly, it should go without saying that if Trump isn’t going to be swayed by his own appointees or his erstwhile loyalists, he won’t be led astray by the president of France. Last night, the president left the meeting of the G7 countries early to hold a meeting back in DC with his top defense officials. There was some speculation this meant the president was considering sending American bombers to finish off Iran’s nuclear program, perhaps by striking the fortified plant at Fordow.

French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been on an anti-Israel blitz in the international arena, piped up to say that Trump went back early because there is a cease-fire deal on the table. Trump was unamused: “Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran. Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong.”

As the president of the U.S., Trump is the de facto leader of the free world. But he’s not looking to lead a knights-of-the-round-table crew. When he wants Macron’s opinion, he’ll give it to him.

Trump sits at the helm of a coalition of one, in every case and context. It has been this way for a decade. There is plenty to dislike about the chaotic and ego-driven policymaking that often follows from this approach. But there is no excuse to still be surprised by it.
Seth Frantzman: More than 30 Iranian ballistic missiles strike Israel in 4 days of war, over 370 launched
At least 30 Iranian ballistic missiles have landed in Israel since the beginning of the recent conflict between Israel and Iran on June 13. Iran has launched more than 370 missiles at Israel since the hostilities started, according to Israel’s Government Press Office. By the morning of June 16, at least 24 people have been killed in Israel, and roughly 600 have been wounded, 10 of them seriously.

Israel launched an attack on Iran on June 13 in the early morning hours, and Iran began its response the same day, launching drones and then barrages of missiles throughout the night of June 13–14. These attacks have followed a similar pattern since the first day of the conflict, with Iran launching dozens of missiles each day.

Israel and Iran have not released full data on drone attacks, but drone alerts have also been activated in Israel throughout each day since June 14. For instance, on June 16, there were six rounds of drone alerts. The drones frequently target the periphery of Israel, such as the southern or northern parts of the country, or the border near Jordan or the West Bank. Most of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) appear to have been intercepted, as no reports of their impacts have been made public in Israel.

Iran has generally launched its ballistic missiles at night. Israelis receive warning of the launches up to 30 minutes before the projectiles arrive. This multi-layered alert system enables Israelis to enter bomb shelters. In most cases, the warnings have saved lives when impacts hit residential areas. However, a missile directly hit a safe room on the fourth floor of a home in the city of Petah Tikva in the early morning hours of June 16, killing two people.

Israel’s Home Front Command has emphasized that people should continue to go to shelters. In a separate incident, a tall residential building was hit by a missile in the early hours of June 15. The IDF said 180 people in bomb shelters were unharmed by the explosion, but nine people were killed and 200 injured outside of shelters located in the building and the adjacent area.


How IDF intelligence outmaneuvered Iran - explainer
While all kinds of political and strategic stories in Israel, the US, and Iran led to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to give the order to go to war with Iran, there is a specific one regarding operational intelligence that needed to happen to green light this.

In October 2024, the IDF began to fixate on establishing a real operation plan that could actually take down Iran’s nuclear program and any other elements of its national power that could severely threaten Israel.

Already in mid-2023, IDF intelligence and the Israel Air Force had pinpointed hundreds of potential targets to strike in a hypothetical war.

Still, these plans were divorced from converting the theoretical attack into a specific, real-world moment that would also allow for the element of surprise that Israel favored.

At the end of November 2024, IDF intelligence and the air force held a 10-hour-long conference with the goal of arriving at a formula and strategy for striking as quickly as possible at Iran’s military centers of gravity to eliminate the threat against Israel.

Military intelligence designated a particular office for around 120 soldiers and officers to work on the issue, including breaking down into teams, each of which would focus on a different category of targeting.

The categories in question included nuclear threats, ballistic missile threats, drones, top commanders, communications, air defenses, military-industrial complex production, economic power, and governance.

By December 2024, the IDF’s intelligence staff still felt that they were a far cry from resolving how to crack Iran’s national power rapidly and efficiently before the Islamic Republic could strike back against Israel with all of its fury.In January, the pressure escalated further, but IDF intelligence still felt that it had not identified the key center of gravity.

At one point, it thought that it might have reached a dead end and needed to inform the political echelon that the ambitions of a quick knockout war against Iran were beyond its planning capabilities.
Col. Richard Kemp: 'Israel can inflict significant damage to Fordow'
Colonel Richard Kemp, the former commander of the British military forces in Afghanistan, spoke to Israel National News - Arutz Sheva about Operation Rising Lion, the military operation launched at the end of last week to cripple Iran's nuclear weapons program.

Col. Kemp praised Israel's accomplishments in Iran since the operation began early Friday morning. "Israel has achieved strategically important success in a very short time. The elimination of so many members of Iran’s military hierarchy is a devastating blow that will leave the regime reeling. It will be very hard or impossible to replace their expertise any time soon. The same goes for the elimination of the nuclear scientists. It seems Israel has severely diminished offensive weapons capability, including knocking out at least one-third of its ballistic missile launchers. The Director General of the IAEA assesses all 15,000 centrifuges at Natanz have been severely damaged or destroyed in air strikes."

He believes that it was necessary for Israel to strike Iran's nuclear facilities when it did. "Before the war began, Israel had received intelligence confirming Iran had commenced weaponisation of highly enriched uranium, a new step. At the same time, the IAEA confirmed Iran had enough 60% enriched uranium for 10 or so bombs and that could be further enriched to weapons grade within 2 weeks. That made a military strike essential. Imagine if just one of Iran’s ballistic missiles that have been fired into Israel had a nuclear warhead. Potentially huge numbers killed. That’s why this operation was necessary, not just for Israel but for the region and the world.

In contrast to the effectiveness of Israel's strikes inside Iran, he stated that "Iran’s response has been weak. It has fired 350-370 ballistic missiles and many drones. The vast majority have been knocked out by Israel’s air defences, something like 90%. Only 24 people — all civilians — have been killed. That is, of course, tragic, but it’s hardly the devastating attack Iran has promised in response to Israel’s preemptive attack."

Col. Kemp noted that Iran was a threat to more than just Israel. "The whole world benefits from what Israel is doing, especially dealing with Iran’s nuclear program. But also Iran’s region-wide and worldwide terrorism which has killed thousands of people in the Middle East, in Afghanistan, in Europe and as far afield as Argentina. Iran is the number one state supporter of global terrorism and has been working to destabilise the Middle East."


Trump Is the Right Man to Hit Fordow By Abe Greenwald
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Last time Trump was in the Middle East, in May, he went out of his way to condemn American military intervention. He used the terms “neocon,” “interventionist,” and “nation builder” interchangeably and told a massive audience in Riyadh that “the so-called nation builders wrecked far more nations than they built and the interventionalists were intervening in complex societies that they did not even understand themselves.” Trump spoke of a new way forward based on win-win negotiations between the U.S. and Middle Eastern countries.

So if he decides to pull the trigger on an attack, no can reasonably claim that he’ll be doing so out of blind adherence to hawkish ideology. Rather, it will be because the president recognizes the unacceptable threat posed by a nuclear Iran and sees that there’s no other way to neutralize it.

As it happens, that is what neoconservatives have been saying or 20 years. Anti-Semitic MAGA influencers don’t want Trump to destroy Fordow because it will give way to their worst nightmare. No, not World War III—they don’t believe any of their doomsday predictions—but the vindication of the neocons (whom they portray as Jewish puppeteers). That’s far worse than Armageddon to these creeps.

Which brings us to another reason that Trump is the right man for the job. If he pulls it off, it will set MAGA on a better, more hygienic course. Some of the most anti-Semitic hangers-on will drop out of the movement, and others will shed their anti-Israel hysteria as they follow Trump’s lead. MAGA waters have been far too murky for far too long. If Trump gives the order, he clears the pond of scum for good.

And because Trump wouldn’t be acting out of an ideological investment in either regime change or nation building, there’d be no chance of the U.S. getting bogged down in a post-attack rebuilding nightmare. We’d be in an out and onto the next.

Finally, because Trump has been in endless negotiations with the world’s leading bad actors, he needs to demonstrate that he’s not a man of bottomless patience or gullibility. Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, and others need a lesson in consequences. Let’s hope they get it very soon.
Israel is Trump’s ideal ‘America First’ ally — fighting its own battle vs. Iran
The “liberal world order” thesis has always struggled to cope with Israel. Yes, the Jewish state benefits significantly from US military assistance — but it has never demanded that we take primary responsibility for its security, or relied upon us to do so.

To the contrary, Israel has always insisted on retaining the independent capacity to protect and advance its own interests, and generally rejected deployment of US military personnel into its conflicts.

A rational observer might look at this situation and think, now there’s a real ally.

But if your conception of “alliance” means other nations handing their rights and responsibilities over to the United States, this drives you nuts. An ally, by that thinking, is someone who does what we tell them.

The Israelis never got this memo. Their freedom of action — in a Middle East that the United States felt obligated to secure, as it was obligated to secure the whole world — was a constant headache.

But from the America First perspective, with US rights and responsibilities reduced, there is no problem: Both neoconservatives eager to see Israel take the fight to Iran, and restrainers eager to see the US step back from foreign conflicts, can cheer the current developments.

As a corollary of this new and different framework, the US has a much better chance of staying out of conflicts where it does not want to engage.

The idea that Iran could or should respond to an Israeli attack by attacking US bases fits comfortably into the internal logic of American hegemony, but makes no sense when Israel is launching its own attack.

And it can ultimately be in our best interest to foster a world where countries whose values are generally aligned with ours have greater capability to act more decisively with less involvement from us.

Certainly this appears to be the case here, just as it would if Germany could help Ukraine drive back the Russians or if Japan could credibly defend Taiwan.

The America First pivot is borne partly of necessity — US power is no longer sufficient to preserve global hegemony, even if that were desirable.

But it is also borne of a different, and perhaps healthier, understanding of what American interests truly are and how best to advance them.

America First does not require that the US pursue its own interests and press the rest of the world into pursuing those same interests.

Rather, it recognizes that the US will pursue its own interests — and that it can best do this by leaving its allies to pursue their own interests as well.

Admittedly, this might be less fun for the grandmasters who so enjoyed moving their chess pieces around the board. Forgive the chess pieces for liking it better.
Israel is poised to reshape and lead a new Middle East
The fall of the regime in Iran would also offer Palestinians their best hope. So long as the mullahs endure, they will pour cash and ideology into hatred and war. Without Tehran, Hamas would lose their lifeline.

Europe, meanwhile, resumes its familiar role: anxious irrelevance. Its leaders, if that term still applies, have scrambled to say what they won’t do: strike Iran, support Israel, or even defend the Jewish state, or, frankly, themselves. After all, Iranian missiles could also reach Europe. The mullahs regularly call for “Death to Britain” and have plotted countless terror attacks on UK soil. To let Israel face a shared threat alone is more than weakness. It is strategic self-harm.

While Israeli pilots strike Iran’s nuclear programme with pinpoint accuracy, Britain and its European partners couldn’t even sign a statement demanding Iran halt uranium enrichment. Instead, they reportedly offered failed concepts from the past, the very ones that got us into this mess, insisting on “monitoring” instead of dismantling nuclear sites. The resulting draft document was so out of touch with the realities on the ground and what would be necessary to really bring about the “stability” Europe claims it so craves, that Donald Trump rightly refused to sign it, according to media reports.

Regardless of European dithering, one thing is clear: Israel’s campaign will be studied in war colleges for generations. Behind closed doors, even those now snubbing it will queue for its expertise. Israeli know-how, in war and peace, is becoming indispensable. That alone all but guarantees Israel’s continued ascent.

But there is more to it than hard power. A country whose citizens rush to leave beach holidays to board “rescue” flights back home into a war zone has something profound to offer to the world. Not least the conviction that even after three millennia, their story is far from over, that each one of them has a purpose in their country, and that destiny is theirs to write rather than something to fatalistically await.

Whatever Israel’s eternal critics may say, those who matter see the truth: The Jewish state is not a cause of instability. It is the agent of its end – and the architect of what comes next.
China’s role in the Iranian missile crisis
China apologists, and there are many, say that Israel should not read into China’s support for Iran. China will sell anything to anybody, they say. China’s real beef is with the United States, not Israel. Others say that China’s support of Iran and the Houthis forces the United States into distracting, low-return military skirmishes in the Middle East. Meanwhile, China works to lock in more gains in the South China Sea and elsewhere, which are its real priorities.

China’s true motivations are irrelevant. Actions matter. China’s direct assistance to Iran has helped the Islamic Regime murder more than a dozen Jewish civilians who have been killed in ballistic missile attacks, which have struck residential buildings while traveling at Mach 6 speed. Hundreds more have been wounded.

Even before the start of Israel’s campaign against Iran, drones that were built with China’s assistance had helped Iran shed Jewish blood. On July 19, 2024, Tel Aviv resident Yevgeny Ferder, a 50-year-old civilian, was murdered while sleeping in his apartment. He died in an explosion caused by an Iranian Samad‑3 drone, launched by the Houthis.

How did the drone get to Ferder’s apartment? China sold Iran the engine and other parts for the drone. Adding insult to injury, China stole the blueprints for the lightweight aluminum piston engine from a U.S. company, Desert Aircraft Company.

This is not the first time ballistic missile development triggered swift and aggressive Israeli action. In the late 1950s, Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who lost two wars to Israel on the battlefield, sought to build V1- and V2-style vengeance weapons. He hired dozens of former Nazi rocket scientists, who started work in Cairo in 1959.

In “Operation Damocles,” Mossad sought to end the program. Just a decade after the Holocaust, Israel took a dim view of Nazis on its border. Some scientists were kidnapped. Others were killed. Letter bombs were sent to their homes in Cairo. Heinz Krug, a key Munich-based arms dealer and a scientist who worked on the project, disappeared without a trace in 1962. Defanged of its evil German Nazi brainpower, Egypt’s missile program fizzled.

While there is little that Israel can do militarily against China, which has the world’s largest army and second-largest economy, it must reverse course on its long-established and misguided policy of cozying up to China, promoting Chinese investment and giving China valuable port and transportation concessions in Israel.

It is hard to believe that a succession of Israeli prime ministers dating back to the early 2000s has permitted such a geopolitical foe like China to ingratiate itself to the point that we are all now riding on Chinese trains in Tel Aviv. One shouldn’t be allowed to eat at Israel’s dinner table while simultaneously trying to kill all the Jews in the dining room.
What Can We Learn from Israel’s Attack on Iran
The Fight Is Far From Over
Yet even amid operational success, it is critical to curb any sense of triumphalism. The fight is far from over. Israel’s primary objective — the full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure — has not yet been achieved. Key elements of the program, especially the fortified facility at Fordow, remain intact.

This reality demands not only continued military resolve, but national endurance and resilience. The campaign ahead will require sustained commitment from Israeli decision-makers and civilians alike. Iran will go to great lengths to stall, deceive, and counter Israel’s actions — all in an effort to deny the operation its most vital strategic goal. What has been achieved so far is significant, but insufficient. The most difficult phase may still lie ahead.

A Sovereign Decision
While American support was indispensable — particularly in bolstering Israel’s air defense systems, resupplying ammunition, and providing essential political cover on the international stage — the decision to strike Iran was Israel’s alone. This underscores a core tenet of Israel’s national security doctrine: that despite its strategic partnership with the U.S. and the critical support it receives, Israel ultimately relies on its own capabilities to defend itself.

The cooperation, communication, and strategic coordination with Washington were real and ongoing. But the final judgment was made in Jerusalem, not in Washington. That distinction matters. It underscores Israel’s status as a sovereign actor, willing and able to defend its national interests, unilaterally when necessary. In the eyes of both allies and adversaries across the Middle East, this reinforces the credibility of Israeli deterrence — and the independence of Israeli resolve.

The Diplomatic Endgame — But Not Yet
Israel’s endgame is not endless war, but rather seeking to utilize its successful campaign together with the credible threat of American involvement to achieve a diplomatic solution that is advantageous to Israel—inhibiting Iran’s ability to enrich uranium. Most critically, any diplomatic resolution must follow Israel’s campaign to dismantle Iran’s critical nuclear infrastructure. A premature settlement forced under duress would risk leaving the core threat intact and give Iran the ability to reconstitute its nuclear program.

While some voices may speculate about regime change in Iran, that is not Israel’s stated or implied objective — and at this stage, such an outcome remains speculative at best and dependent on forces beyond Israel’s control. The task at hand is far more immediate and narrowly defined: to deny Iran the capability to produce a nuclear weapon. Only when that goal is accomplished can diplomacy play its proper role — not as a shield against action, but as a tool to solidify its outcomes.

Regionally, Israel’s actions and its operational successes can serve as a foundation for expanded regional engagement with its moderate Sunni partners—expanding the Abraham Accords, promoting regional political and economic integration, all while positioning Israel as a central pillar within an American-led regional architecture.

Strategic Implications
Israel’s attack on Iran was not just a military action. It was a declaration of intent. It signaled that, while diplomacy and deterrence are always preferable, Israel will not outsource its security — especially when faced with existential threats. The operation underscored the value of surprise, strategic patience, and careful sequencing. It demonstrated that in today’s evolving threat environment, deterrence is only credible when backed by visible, decisive action.

For defense professionals, policymakers, and observers alike, the lesson is clear: ignoring clear and present dangers may delay war, but it makes eventual conflict more costly. Israel chose to act — not because it wanted war, but because the alternative was far worse.
Why the Attacks on Iran Won’t Lead to an Arab Embrace of Israel
Since Thursday night, my phone has been flooded with euphoric messages from contacts across the Gulf, clearly reflecting how deeply they feel the significance of this moment for themselves. While the war between Israel and Iran is far from over, Israel’s early successes point toward a scenario where Iranian strategic power could be decisively weakened. If this occurs, decades of regional constraints imposed by Tehran’s aggressive posture would suddenly vanish, reinforcing the Gulf’s already rising global influence. The Gulf states are now increasingly aware of their position as influential mid-sized powers, driven by unparalleled financial liquidity, strategic global investments, and growing geopolitical weight. But ambition alone guarantees nothing.

Sectarianism—that is, exacerbating the Sunni-Shiite, or Alawite-Shiite, divide—was once Iran’s most potent ideological tool. Now it is a spent force; Sunni dominance remains unchallenged. Yet uncertainties persist. Tehran has long shaped crucial regional narratives—Palestine, “resistance,” and anti-Westernism—that Gulf states privately reject yet remain uncomfortable openly repudiating.

For the Gulf states, the weakening or collapse of Iran’s regional project also presents a critical opportunity regarding Palestine, an issue Tehran wielded against them for decades. “Countries like Saudi Arabia may talk a big game about supporting the Palestinians,” Iranian rhetoric long claimed, “but it’s the Axis of Resistance (i.e., Iran-backed militias) that actually fights for them.” Gulf elites privately resent how the Palestinian cause has long constrained their freedom of maneuver, complicating their strategic alignment with Israel and the United States. Now, with Tehran potentially neutralized, Gulf states might finally see a path to reducing Palestine’s disruptive symbolic power—although this doesn’t necessarily translate into embracing Israel.

Salutary as discarding the Palestine obsession would be—for the Gulf, for Israel, for the U.S., and above all for the Palestinians—the slogan of Palestine remains useful for Gulf leaders’ strategic leverage, particularly against Israel and the West. More importantly, it serves as a tool in the ongoing rivalries among the Gulf states as well as in their relations with competitors like Egypt and Turkey. Most likely, Palestine might lose some of its symbolic weight, and become somewhat more marginal of an issue, but its pragmatic utility in regional politics suggests it is unlikely to disappear entirely.

I have to admit that, when I heard the first reports of the Israeli campaign against Iran, I too was euphoric. I could hardly sleep from my enthusiasm that the Islamic Republic, which has caused so much death and suffering to Israelis and Arabs alike over the past half-century, might finally be at the end of its rope. But sobriety remains indispensable amid the euphoria. Israel’s dramatic strikes on Iran fundamentally alter the strategic calculus, but will not erase deeply entrenched patterns of Arab geopolitical behavior. Pragmatism, rivalry, and calculated regional maneuvering will define the coming era far more than idealistic hopes or ideological fantasies. Enduring regional dynamics, not wishful thinking, will chart the future.


IsraeliPM: Let’s make Iran great again!
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Interview on Iran International‬: "Let’s make Iran great again!"




Trump Says He Wants ‘Real End’ to Nuclear Problem With Iran, Israel Warns Khamenei
US President Donald Trump said he wanted a “real end” to the nuclear dispute with Iran and indicated he may send senior American officials to meet with the Islamic Republic as the Israel–Iran air war raged for a fifth day.

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said meanwhile that Iran‘s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei could face the same fate as Iraqi President Saddam Hussein, who was toppled in a US-led invasion and eventually hanged after a trial.

“I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and fire missiles at Israeli citizens,” Katz told top Israeli military officials. Shortly after, Iran‘s state media reported an explosion was heard in Tehran.

Several explosions were later heard in the east and north of the city of Isfahan in central Iran, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported.

Speaking to reporters after his early departure from Canada, where he attended the Group of Seven nations summit on Monday, Trump predicted that Israel would not be easing its attacks on Iran.

“You’re going to find out over the next two days. You’re going to find out. Nobody’s slowed up so far,” he said.

Trump said he might send US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff or Vice President JD Vance to meet with Iranian officials.

Washington has said Trump is still aiming for a nuclear deal with Iran, even as the military confrontation unfolds.

Trump said his departure from the G7 summit had “nothing to do with” working on a deal between Israel and Iran, after French President Emmanuel Macron said the US had initiated a ceasefire proposal.

Something “much bigger” than that was expected, he said on his Truth Social platform late on Monday.


Trump Says US Won’t Kill Iran’s Supreme Leader, ‘At Least Not for Now’
President Donald Trump said on Tuesday the US knew exactly where Iran‘s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was “hiding,” that he was an easy target but would not be killed, at least for now.

“We know exactly where the so-called ‘Supreme Leader’ is hiding. He is an easy target, but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social.

“But we don’t want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin,” Trump said.


Trump dismisses Gabbard’s earlier assessment that Iran wasn’t building nuclear weapons
Amid growing speculation that the U.S. will become directly involved in Israel’s military campaign against Iran, President Donald Trump dismissed a public assessment by his Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard earlier this year that Iran was not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon.

“I don’t care what she said, I think they were very close to having it,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One en route home from the G7 Summit in Canada, which he left early to address the situation in the Middle East.

U.S. and Israeli leaders have emphasized in recent days that Iran was quickly increasing its stockpiles of highly enriched uranium in recent months, which would have allowed it to move quickly to a bomb. Some have also disputed Gabbard’s assessment, which was consistent with past assessments by Republican and Democratic administrations in recent years.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said over the weekend, “The intel[ligence] we got and we shared with the United States was absolutely clear, that they were working on a secret plan to weaponize the uranium. They were marching very quickly. They would achieve a test device and possibly an initial device within months, and certainly less than a year.”

Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR), the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee said Iran was “very close to having enough pure weapons-grade uranium for several weapons” and that there were “signs” it was “once again exploring” weaponization.

Gabbard denied any dispute between herself and Trump and appeared to stick by her previous assessment, telling reporters, “What President Trump is saying is the same thing I said in my annual threat assessment in March to Congress.”


Khaled Abu Toameh: Will Trump Really Agree to Some Fake 'Deal' That Allows Iran to Keep Fordow, Secret Sites, and Force the Great Iranian People to Suffer Under a Terrorist Regime?
If US President Donald J. Trump wants actual long-term peace in the Middle East, like it or not, there is no alternative other than allowing the departure of Iran's theocratic terrorist dictators and liberating the Iranian people – just as, after World War II, the US liberated Germany and Japan to enable the election of Chancellor Konrad Adenauer in Germany and the highly successful democracy in Japan.

More negotiations are just the usual stalling tactic of the Iranian regime. Interminably negotiating some "deal" -- which, based on their track record, Iran will cheat on, no matter how vigilant its guardians are -- just allows Iran's regime a 24-karat opportunity to resupply, regroup and terrorize the region again.

The last thing Trump needs is "help" from Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The US urgently needs to spearhead not another porous, fake "nuclear deal" but real security, stability and freedom -- not only for millions of Muslims, Christians and Jews, but also for the great people of Iran who have been forced to suffer under vicious psychopathic despots long enough.

For real peace, Trump needs to be the Churchill of our time. Let Israel finish the job. It is for us.
Pentagon removing Israel planner from Joint Staff, launching probe after JNS scoop
Hours after JNS broke the news that Col. Nathan McCormack, the Levant and Egypt branch chief at the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s J5 planning directorate, has long posted anti-Israel statements on a semi-anonymous public social media account, a Joint Staff official at the Pentagon told JNS it is “aware of the situation” and “looking into the matter.”

“The information on the X account does not reflect the position of the Joint Staff or the Department of Defense,” the Pentagon official told JNS. “The individual is being returned to his service while the matter is being investigated.”

Returning to service means that “he will no longer be on the joint staff while the matter is being investigated,” the official said.

“We went through and looked at the hyperlinks and the content, so we were able to see the content, and we’re essentially assigning an investigating officer to look into the matter,” the official told JNS. “Our global alliances and partnerships are vital to our national security, enhancing our collective defense, deterrence and operational reach.”

The Pentagon official told JNS about the probe shortly after the social media account was disabled.

Among the posts, which have been archived, are references to “Netanyahu and his Judeo-supremacist cronies,” to Washington having “overwhelmingly” enabled Israel’s “bad behavior” and to pro-Israel activists in the United States prioritizing “support for Israel over our actual foreign interests.”
Poll Finds Overwhelming Support for Israeli Strikes—and for Trump's Response—Among MAGA Base
President Donald Trump's voters overwhelmingly support Israel's military campaign against Iran, according to a new poll that found 83 percent of those voters support the strikes on Tehran's nuclear program and 95 percent approve of Trump as the president rallies behind the Jewish state.

A GrayHouse poll conducted shortly after Israel began its war effort shows that 67 percent of those who voted for Trump "strongly support" the attack on Tehran’s nuclear facilities, while another 16 percent said they somewhat approve. Trump’s approval among MAGA voters has risen since he lent support to the Israeli operation: Seventy-five percent say they strongly approve of the president’s job performance, while another 20 percent say they somewhat approve.

Those results are slightly better for Trump than his approval ratings just a few days before Israel’s campaign, when a League of American Workers poll conducted from June 9 to 11 put Trump’s approval rating at 88 percent among his own voters.

The results show little daylight between Trump and his supporters across America, even as prominent Republican isolationist voices like Tucker Carlson publicly break with the president. Trump signaled on Tuesday afternoon that the United States is likely to join the fight, saying in a Truth Social post "we now have complete and total control of the skies over Iran."

"President Trump has handled this perfectly, and that’s why his approval is at a record high," Sen. Tom Cotton (R., Ark.) told the Washington Free Beacon. "Republican voters are united with Trump to support Israel’s campaign to end the Iranian nuclear threat."

Voters also back Trump’s handling of national security and foreign affairs matters more broadly, the GrayHouse poll shows. Eighty-one percent strongly approve of the president’s approach, while 14 percent said they somewhat approve. Nearly 60 percent of those polled deemed Iran a "very serious threat" to American national security, while another 25 percent labeled it a "somewhat serious threat."

Seventy-four percent said they are very concerned about Iran’s uranium enrichment program, and a similar number said Tehran cannot be trusted to abide by any fresh nuclear deal. A staggering 86 percent of Trump voters say the United States should provide "defensive weapons systems like missile defense to help Israel protect itself from Iranian attacks," the poll found.

A senior congressional official who reviewed the poll said reports of a "Republican divide" are overblown and untrue.

"There's no Republican divide," the official said. "Republicans back Israel. The pay-to-play MAGA ‘influencers’ have been exposed as having zero sway with Trump and zero sway on the Hill. They're a joke and the good news is now we don't need to even pretend to take them seriously."


Germany’s Merz says Israel is doing the ‘dirty work for all of us’ by countering Iran
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expresses strong support for Israel in its attacks on Iran, speaking on the sidelines of the G7 summit in Canada.

“This is the dirty work Israel is doing for all of us. We are also victims of this regime. This mullah regime has brought death and destruction to the world,” Merz says in an interview with the ZDF broadcaster.

Speaking to broadcaster Welt, Merz says the leadership in Tehran has been weakened by Israel’s attacks in the past few days.

“This regime is very weakened and will probably not return to its former strength, making the future of the country uncertain. We will have to wait and see,” he says.

He adds that the Europeans’ offer of diplomatic assistance, should talks resume, still stands as it did before the attacks.

“If a new situation were to arise, Germany, France and the United Kingdom would again be prepared to provide diplomatic assistance, as they were until last Thursday,” he says.


Five days into Iran war, Israel emanates confidence, flirts with regime change
Israel ratcheted up its threats against Iran’s leadership on Tuesday, with Defense Minister Israel Katz warning that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei could face the same fate as Iraq’s deposed dictator if he continues to attack Israeli civilians.

“I warn the Iranian dictator against continuing to commit war crimes and launching missiles at Israeli civilians. He would do well to remember the fate of the dictator in the country neighboring Iran who chose this same path against Israel,” Katz said during a morning assessment with the IDF’s top brass, alluding to Saddam Hussein, the Iraqi strongman who was overthrown in 2003 during the US invasion of Iraq and later found hiding in a desert hole and hanged.

While Israeli officials have not named regime change as an official goal of their unprecedented campaign against Iran launched last Friday, Katz and other senior figures, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, have conspicuously left the option on the table. They have also been urging the Iranian public to seize the war as a chance to overthrow the administration that has been in place since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

During the assessment, Katz referred to an Israeli strike Monday on the Tehran headquarters of Iran’s state broadcaster IRIB, saying other civil elements of the Iranian regime’s rule may also be targeted.

On Monday, Netanyahu did not rule out plans to target Khamenei, instead suggesting that it would be a surefire way to “end the conflict” with the Islamic Republic.

Asked during an ABC News interview about reports that US President Donald Trump had vetoed a planned Israeli assassination out of concern that it would further escalate the fighting, Netanyahu was dismissive, saying such a move is “not going to escalate the conflict, it’s going to end the conflict.”

In an interview with the London-based opposition outlet Iran International on Monday, Netanyahu responded to a question on whether eliminating Iran’s ruler was on the table, saying, “I’m not gonna get into specific targets because I’m leaving that open.”

Addressing the Iranian people, the premier said that “if we can help you achieve your freedom, that is a noble and worthy cause, because you are a noble and worthy people…We have a common enemy…and I believe that you’ll have an opportunity to be free soon.”
Opposition MKs visit Arab town where four residents were killed by Iranian missile
Opposition lawmakers visited the northern Arab city of Tamra this week to pay condolences to the families of those killed in an Iranian missile barrage over the weekend. Members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition have been criticized for failing to make similar visits.

Accompanied by Tamra’s Mayor Musa Abu Rumi, National Unity chairman Benny Gantz, along with MKs Matan Kahana and Michael Biton, toured the city on Monday, while a day earlier, The Democrats party leader Yair Golan visited with MKs Naama Lazimi and MK Gilad Kariv.

“It was important for me to come to Tamra today, both to share in the pain of the personal loss and to clearly say that there is no place for inflammatory and partisan calls like those heard by individuals who do not represent society,” Gantz said.

“This is true in everyday life and even more so in an emergency. The missiles from Iran do not distinguish between Petah Tikva, Tel Aviv, or Tamra. My heart goes out to the families who lost their loved ones; condolences from me and from all the people of Israel.”

On Saturday, during a major barrage launched by the Islamic Republic, a missile struck a two-story home in Tamra, killing three women and a girl, and injuring some 10 people.

The women were named as Manar Khatib and her two daughters, Hala, 20, and Shada, 13, as well as another relative, also named Manar Khatib. The latter was married to the brother of the father of the family.

Residents of the Arab city have long warned that there is a dearth of bomb shelters in the area, and that almost no homes have a safe room attached. By law, buildings constructed in Israel since the 1990s are required to include a bomb safe room; however, there is limited enforcement by local and national authorities.

Some government critics on social media pointed out that Netanyahu and other senior government ministers visited other deadly impact sites, such as in the central city of Bat Yam, but not the one in the majority-Arab city in the north.


Five more victims of Iranian missile strikes in Petah Tikva and Haifa named
Five people who were killed in Iranian ballistic missile strikes in the early hours of Monday morning have been named as Yaakov and Hadassah Belo, Daisy Yitzhaki, and Igor Fradkin and Uri Levy.

The five were killed when missiles slammed into Israeli cities in at least five locations, claiming the lives of eight people in total. Close to 300 others were injured in the same barrage.

Fradkin and Levy were among three people killed in a strike on the Bazan oil refinery complex in Haifa, northern Israel. The identity of the third victim, Dani Avraham, was made public Monday night.

Yitzhaki, 85, and Yaakov and Hadassah Belo, both 77, were killed in a barrage on the central city of Petah Tikva, in which four people were killed. The name of the city’s fourth victim has yet to be released.

Ofir Belo, the couple’s Brazil-based son, announced the death of his parents in a Facebook post on Tuesday, saying he was “in total shock.”

The two were sheltering in their safe room when a missile with a large explosive warhead slammed into their 20-story apartment block, impacting a wall right between two safe rooms, which were unable to withstand the intensity of the blast.


IDF says it eliminated Iran’s top military commander, who was in office only days
Israel on Tuesday eliminated Iran’s most senior military commander, whose predecessor was killed just days ago during the opening strike of Israel’s war against Iran, according to the Israeli military.

Maj. Gen. Ali Shadmani, who commanded both the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian army, was killed in a strike on a command center in the heart of Tehran, according to an Israel Defense Forces Statement.

He was appointed emergency commander of the Iranian Armed Forces after his predecessor, Maj. Gen. Gholam Ali Rashid, was eliminated in the opening strike of “Operation Rising Lion” on June 13.

Before his predecessor’s elimination, Shamdani had served as deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya emergency command center, and as head of the Iranian Armed Forces’ Operations Directorate.

In January, Shamdani confirmed Iran’s purchase of advanced Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets from Russia as it sought to modernize its aging air force, according to the outlet Defense Security Asia.


Hackers hit Iran’s Bank Sepah, disrupt services nationwide
The hacker group Predatory Sparrow has claimed responsibility for a major cyberattack on Iran’s Bank Sepah, Iranian opposition media outlet Iran International reported on Tuesday.

Bank Sepah is one of the country’s oldest and most prominent financial institutions, with longstanding ties to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian Army.

The group, which has been linked to Israel, announced on social media that it had “destroyed all data” at the bank, a claim that coincided with widespread disruptions in banking services across Iran. Customers reported being unable to access their accounts, and several Bank Sepah branches were forced to close temporarily as a result of the attack.

Fars News, linked to the IRGC, confirmed the cyberattack and said gas stations could also be affected, but that a quick resolution was expected.

Iran’s central bank insisted banking operations remain normal. Predatory Sparrow said it had targeted Sepah for its military ties and sanctions evasion.


Tikvah: A New Middle East: How Israel's Operation Against Iran Will Reshape the Region | Special Briefing
Since Hamas's devastating surprise attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Israel has neutralized the threats arrayed along its borders. Now, a year and a half later, the Jewish state is taking the fight directly to the leader of this regional axis of aggression: Iran.

In the early morning hours of June 13, Israel launched a vast attack against the Iranian regime. It attacked parts of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, eliminated key military leaders and nuclear scientists, and destroyed Iran’s remaining air defenses.

In this special briefing, Mosaic Editor Jonathan Silver discusses these incredible developments with
▪️Maj. (ret.) John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point.
▪️Brig. Gen. (ret.) Assaf Orion, Senior Fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies and former head of the IDF’s Strategic Division.
▪️Elliott Abrams, Tikvah’s Chairman, Senior Fellow for Middle Eastern Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations, former U.S. Deputy National Security Advisor.
▪️Maj. (res.) Amiad Cohen, CEO of the Herut Center for Israeli Liberty.

They analyze the evolution of Israel’s strategic doctrine, the limits of deterrence, and the emerging regional alignment against Iran. The conversation also considers how American policy is adapting—or failing to adapt—to a changing Middle East.

00:00 Introduction
04:14 Historical Context and Recent Developments
08:01 IDF War Plan and Strategy
16:10 Operational and Technological Capabilities
22:19 The Will of Israel and Public Sentiment
26:39 Impact on Gaza and Lebanon
29:08 Strategic Goals and Realistic Expectations
34:01 Divisions Within the Trump Administration on Middle East Policy
37:53 Challenges in Neutralizing Iran's Nuclear Facilities
42:02 Israel's Broader Security Concerns
54:39 Iran's Offensive Capabilities and Israel's Defense
01:01:02 The Role of the US in Mediating the Conflict


Call me Back Podcast: Will the U.S. Deal Iran its Final Blow? - with Amit Segal
In the early hours of Friday, June 13th, the Israeli Air Force began major attacks on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, as well as IRGC leaders and nuclear scientists. The attack prompted an Iranian retaliation which began later that night.

Saturday, the second day of war with Iran, became the deadliest night for Israeli civilians since October 7th, after two massive barrages of Iranian rockets killed eleven Israelis and wounded over 200. Seven people were killed in Bat Yam, where a missile struck a residential building, and four were killed in the Arab city of Tamra, east of Haifa.

As the Israeli offensive on Iran proceeds, the big question is; will the United States join Israel’s offensive to destroy Iran’s nuclear program?

In this episode, Amit Segal, Call me Back Regular and senior political analyst for Channel 12, joins us to discuss Saturday night’s attack on Israel, and the possibility of U.S. military action against Iran.

00:00 Introduction
05:16 Iranian rockets hitting Israel
14:22 What has Israel accomplished in Iran?
19:11 Will the U.S. enter the war?
29:37 The advantage that Israel has
40:20 When did this plan come together?
42:58 Bibi's legacy
48:20 Closing




Hugh Hewitt: Israel Channel 12 chief analyst Amit Segal joined Hugh to provide a Monday afternoon update

Ben Shapiro: Israel’s DEVASTATING Offensive Continues…While Trump Plays 4D Chess
Israel’s devastating offensive against Iran’s nuclear and missile capacities continues, while President Trump continues to play 4D chess; Tucker Carlson and others attack President Trump for not abandoning Israel; and the patriotic Army parade goes swimmingly as protesters shout at the moon.


Commentary PodCast: Trump, Bibi, and God
We get metaphysical and spiritual on today's podcast as I ask whether we can see the hand of providence at work in the mission against Iran and the increasingly tough tone and line taken by Donald Trump as the hours pass.


What the Hell Is Going On PodCast: Will Happen Next in Israel’s Assault on Iran? Haviv Rettig Gur Explains. Explicit
Five days in, Israel’s battle to destroy the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear weapons infrastructure continues. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) launched the campaign in the wake of a decision by the IAEA Board to censure Iran a resolution declaring that Iran is in breach of its non-proliferation obligations, one day past a Donald Trump imposed deadline of 60 days for Iran to agree to relinquish its uranium enrichment capabilities. Iran has responded with indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets in Israel. Can Israel destroy Iran’s nuclear program? Is that possible without the United States? What role will the United States play? And can the Tehran regime survive?

Haviv Gur is a veteran Israeli journalist who serves as Senior Analyst for The Times of Israel. He has covered Israel’s politics, foreign policy and relationship with the Jewish diaspora since 2005. He has reported from over 20 countries and is fluent in Hebrew and English. He served as director of communications for the Jewish Agency for Israel, the country’s largest NGO. He travels around the world educating people on Israel and reporting on timely events and developments in and about Israel as a premiere analyst.
‘Israel went alone’ in defending the Middle East from a ‘nuclear Iran’
Former Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy discusses Israel’s independence in orchestrating targeted attacks on Iranian weapons infrastructure.

“Israel is not banking on the United States getting drawn into this war,” Mr Levy told Sky News host Sharri Markson.

“Israel went alone against the Iranian regime, knowing that with our backs against the wall, we are the ones who are going to save the Middle East from a nuclear Iran.”


Coleman Hughes: Why Iran's Nuclear Program Must Be Stopped
The eyes of the world are on Iran and Israel—and on the waves of strikes that began early Friday morning when Israel hit nuclear facilities, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps military bases, launchers, and commanders’ residences in Iran. At the heart of the conflict is Iran’s nuclear ambitions. That’s something my guest on Conversations with Coleman this week has been focused on for years.

Mark Dubowitz is the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He has advised several administrations on Iran sanctions and broader strategic policy.

We spoke several weeks ago, but the issues we discussed are essential to understanding the current clash: Everything from the science of uranium enrichment and the history of Iran’s regime to the differing Obama, Trump, and Biden policies on containment. Mark laid out the stakes of preventing a nuclear-armed Iran—not just for the United States, but for global stability— and the consequences of getting it wrong.

Our conversation is now more important than ever to understand the context for the articles and commentary that you’re going to see over the next weeks and months. Check out our conversation here.


LIVE From Tel Aviv | Israel - Iran War Continues For A FIFTH Day
Asher Westropp-Evans, journalist and middle east expert based in Tel Aviv, joins Mike Graham on Talk to discuss reports US president Trump has called for ‘immediate evacuation of Tehran' and brands Iran 'foolish' amid ceasefire calls.

It is believed Israel prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is refusing to rule out assassinating the Iranian supreme leader, as the war enters it’s fifth day.

Asher says, “Everyone in Israel is watching closely today.”




“Netanyahu Deserves Nobel Peace Prize” | Israeli PM Praised After Attacks On Iran
Israeli legal scholar Eugene Kontorovich joins Talk’s Kevin O’Sullivan to discuss the rising tensions in the Middle East following an ongoing military conflict between Israel and Iran.


Israel acting to prevent ‘crazy’ Iranian regime from having ‘weapons of mass destruction’
Former IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus claims Israel is taking unilateral military action against Iran because it doesn’t want the “crazy” regime to have “weapons of mass destruction”.

This comes as Israel and Iran continue to exchange lethal missile strikes against each other.

The Israeli Air Force first hit Iran last week in what’s been called “pre-emptive strikes” to prevent Iran from advancing in its development of nuclear weapons.


“Israel Is Targeting Precise Senior Terrorists” | Iranian Regime Change Incoming?
Arab-Israeli journalist Yosef Haddad joins Talk’s Julia Hartley-Brewer to discuss the ongoing military conflict between Israel and Iran in the Middle East.

A handful of senior members of the Iranian Government and military have been neutralised by Israel.


‘Hard to predict’ if the US will become involved in Middle East war
Middle East Forum security analyst Jonathan Spyer analyses whether the United States will become directly involved in the Middle East war.

“Certainly, there’s clearly a coordinated attempt to place very, very heavy pressure on the Iranians right now,” Mr Spyer told Sky News host Chris Kenny.

“As to whether the United States will in fact come in or not, it is very, very hard to predict … we should not rule anything out.”


US is ‘seriously considering’ action against Iran
Strategic Analysis Australia Director Peter Jennings claims the US is “seriously considering” taking action against Iran.

“The US is giving itself an option to launch military operations against Iran, I think in the next week or so,” Mr Jennings told Sky News host Andrew Bolt.

“The Americans are now very seriously considering being part of a strike option.

“I don’t think they’ll go more broadly than the nuclear facilities and perhaps some missile facilities … but there is no way to go back to negotiation at this point.”




Why Israel Attacked Iran - Elica Le Bon

Islamic regime blamed for escalating conflict between Iran and Israel
Australian Iranian Patriots Association Co-Founder Maani Taghizadeh blames the Islamic regime for the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel.

“This is not our war, this is not the war between Iranian people and the state of Israel,” Mr Taghizadeh told Sky News host Sharri Markson.

“This war has happened because of the behaviour by the Islamic regime seeking nuclear weaponry.

“The enemy is inside.”


Jon Stewart blasts Trump over Israel-Iran war: ‘What the f–k are we doing?’
Jon Stewart blasted President Trump for his handling of the Israel-Iran war — telling his Comedy Central audience on Monday that the “dealmaker-in-chief” was at fault for being on the verge of striking a deal with the Islamic Republic before things went “bomby.”

“What the f–k are we doing?” Stewart, host of the network’s “The Daily Show,” said during Monday night’s monologue.

“What happened with Iran? Weren’t we about to make a nuclear deal? Wasn’t our dealmaker-in-chief making a deal to keep Iran from enriching uranium? Actually, didn’t we have a deal before our dealmaker-in-chief so wisely pulled us from that deal? Why did this have to go bomby on Iran now?” Stewart said.

He followed up by showing a 2012 clip of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warning that Iran was only months away from acquiring a nuclear weapon.

“Iran is months away from having a nuclear bomb, says Netanyahu … in 2012,” Stewart said, rolling his eyes.

“Netanyahu talks about Iran getting nukes the way I talk about the Knicks winning a title.”

As tensions flare between Tehran and Jerusalem, Stewart suggested that US involvement — whether direct or indirect — could have severe repercussions.

“Of course, a hot war between Israel and Iran could threaten the United States. It’s best if we stay out of it,” he said, before airing a clip of Secretary of State Marco Rubio insisting that the US was “not involved” in the bombing campaign.

“Phew. We’re not involved. That’s good,” Stewart deadpanned, before immediately cutting to a news report confirming that Trump had been “informed beforehand” of the Israeli strikes.




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Elder of Ziyon - حـكـيـم صـهـيـون



This blog may be a labor of love for me, but it takes a lot of effort, time and money. For 20 years and 40,000 articles I have been providing accurate, original news that would have remained unnoticed. I've written hundreds of scoops and sometimes my reporting ends up making a real difference. I appreciate any donations you can give to keep this blog going.

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