Once again, the Islamic Republic of Iran is drawing the United States into talks through the Sultanate of Oman. Some Western officials and analysts frame this as an <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-us-start-talks-oman-under-shadow-regional-conflict-2025-04-12/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">opportunity</a> for de-escalation, but the evidence suggests otherwise. The regime’s decision to engage is a tactical maneuver aimed at delaying pressure, repositioning itself diplomatically, and benefiting from potential external shifts. If not met with firm containment, this round of diplomacy will mirror past failures.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran’s</a> current position is fragile. The <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/06/us-will-collapse-irans-economy-by-shutting-down-its-oil-industry-treasury-secretary-says.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">economy</a> is deteriorating rapidly, with persistent inflation and currency depreciation undermining basic economic stability. Domestically, the regime continues to face discontent that, while suppressed by force, has not been resolved through legitimacy. 
Regionally, its power projection has eroded. Hamas has been severely degraded, Hezbollah has suffered significant military setbacks, and Iran’s network of militias faces growing pressure from Israel and Western-aligned actors. The regime is seeking time for political dynamics in Washington to shift, for global energy markets to realign, and for Persian Gulf partners to return focus to short-term economic stabilization over long-term isolation strategies. None of this signals readiness to change course — it signals a regime buying time, again.
Engagement with Iran does not support the Iranian people. Every round of diplomacy has ended with the IRGC stronger, dissidents more isolated, and Tehran more defiant. Historically, sanctions relief and renewed <a href="https://www.meforum.org/mef-observer/how-the-iranian-regime-seeks-to-build-its-power-upon-american-naivete" target="_blank" rel="noopener">diplomatic engagement</a> have bolstered the regime’s internal security networks. Resources gained through these openings are funneled to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), intelligence services, and patronage systems that reinforce regime control. The October 7 massacre was the price of appeasement. Billions flowed to Iran under Biden — and blood flowed in Israel.
The coalition pushing for a deal does not have American interests in mind. China and Russia want breathing room for their ally. The Europeans want to claim progress ahead of their own elections. And some in the Persian Gulf would rather appease Tehran than risk direct confrontation. 
<div id="attachment_911379" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-911379" class="size-large wp-image-911379" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2210316600-864x576.jpg" alt="Italian police officers outside the entrance of the Omani embassy, in Rome, Italy, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Iran and the US on Saturday began a second round of talks aimed at reaching a deal over Tehran's nuclear program, according to Iranian state television. Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg via Getty Images" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2210316600-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2210316600-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2210316600-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2210316600.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Italian police officers outside the entrance of the Omani embassy, in Rome, Italy, on Saturday, April 19, 2025. Photographer: Alessia Pierdomenico/Bloomberg via Getty Images</div>
President Donald Trump has an opportunity to break this cycle of failure. His administration must recognize that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei is not a rational actor. He does not negotiate in good faith, he does not reform, and he does not seek peace. Like Hamas’s Yahya Sinwar, Khamenei sees both survival and martyrdom as victory — an outlook rooted in radical Islamist ideology that glorifies death over compromise. As Gaza burned, Sinwar sat gripping a stick, waiting for the drone that would kill him — convinced he had already won. Khamenei would do the same to Iran. He would rather watch cities collapse and millions suffer than compromise with the West. 
Some argue that if Tehran <a href="https://allisrael.com/is-the-libyan-disarmament-a-viable-model-for-iran-understanding-the-option-netanyahu-would-like-to-see" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dismantles</a> its nuclear program and allows missile inspections, a deal might be acceptable — similar to the Libya model. But that view misunderstands the nature of the Islamic Republic. Its nuclear ambitions are a symptom, not the root of the threat. The regime’s hostility toward the U.S. and Israel is ideological, rooted in its identity. That identity cannot be negotiated away. A deal now would prolong the regime’s survival and empower the institutions behind its repression and aggression. 
Tehran’s use of calibrated escalation further underscores the risks of engagement without parallel containment. In 2019, the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/14/world/middleeast/saudi-arabia-refineries-drone-attack.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">regime</a> struck Saudi oil infrastructure expecting a restrained U.S. response. Israeli <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgr0yvrx4qpo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">strikes</a> on IRGC-affiliated targets have been met with limited, symbolic responses rather than strategic confrontation. This behavior is consistent with a <a href="https://www.iiss.org/globalassets/media-library---content--migration/images/comment/analysis/2017/december/2-mcinnis2125.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">doctrine</a> of calculated, limited escalation designed to generate leverage and delay decisive retaliation. It is not evidence of de-escalation.
While indirect negotiations may appear diplomatically useful, they allow Tehran to manipulate outcomes while avoiding direct commitments. Engagement becomes a form of enablement. The danger is not the act of negotiation itself, but the repetition of a failed process in which pressure is relieved while Tehran stabilizes, regroups, and continues regional destabilization.
To protect U.S. and allied interests, the correct response to the regime’s current posture is neither renewed engagement nor war, but the full activation of isolation mechanisms. This includes triggering the UN snapback sanctions mechanism under <a href="https://www.congress.gov/119/bills/sres81/BILLS-119sres81is.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNSCR 2231</a>, designating the IRGC as a terrorist organization at the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-838780" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EU level</a>, freezing <a href="https://financialpost.com/pmn/us-imposes-sanctions-on-a-chinese-refinery-accused-of-buying-iranian-oil" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assets</a> linked to Chinese and Malaysian brokers facilitating regime oil exports, and exposing the logistical infrastructure that allows the IRGC to operate regionally. European banks and Persian Gulf financial institutions still transacting with regime-linked entities should face coordinated diplomatic and financial pressure. Isolation must be operational and enforced.
<div id="attachment_911393" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-911393" class="wp-image-911393 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2209282209-864x576.jpg" alt="An Iranian driver sits in his vehicle, which is parked under an anti-U.S. mural in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 12, 2025, during the day of the Iran-U.S. nuclear discussions. According to Iranian officials, indirect nuclear discussions between Iran and the United States begin in Muscat, Oman, on April 12. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2209282209-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2209282209-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2209282209-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/GettyImages-2209282209.jpg 1024w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />An Iranian driver sits in his vehicle, which is parked under an anti-U.S. mural in downtown Tehran, Iran, on April 12, 2025, during the day of the Iran-U.S. nuclear discussions. (Photo by Morteza Nikoubazl/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</div>
In the likely event of further regime degradation, the United States and its allies must be prepared for a leadership vacuum. Any transition scenario must include support for figures with broad-based legitimacy, cross-generational appeal, and a clear public commitment to secular democratic governance. The <a href="https://www.meforum.org/mef-observer/the-u-s-must-engage-with-reza-pahlavi" target="_blank" rel="noopener">son of the late Shah</a> is uniquely positioned as a unifying figure with broad-based legitimacy and recognition required to facilitate a post-regime transition. He consistently advocates a referendum-based process to empower Iranians in determining their political future, explicitly refraining from promoting any particular system, including monarchy. His value lies in providing political continuity, grounded solely in his national stature and widespread public recognition during a potentially volatile transition period. During recent national celebrations — including Nowruz and Chaharshanbe Suri — <a href="https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-847541" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iranians</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUrz6uoeRXc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chanted</a> his name in cities across the country. These were not isolated incidents or orchestrated campaigns; they were widespread, public expressions of recognition. No other figure inside or outside Iran has generated this level of organic visibility. 
There are additional risks that must be managed. Steve Witkoff, appointed as special envoy by the Trump administration, currently leads the Iran talks. His extensive <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2024/11/steve-witkoff-middle-east-envoy-real-estate-mogul-donald-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">business</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/25/us/politics/witkoff-trump-middle-east-envoy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connections</a> with investors in Persian Gulf states, notably Qatar and Saudi Arabia, raise legitimate concerns about regional influence over U.S. policy direction. Some regional partners could advocate for a &#8216;stability-focused&#8217; agreement that sustains a weakened yet intact Islamic Republic, rather than supporting a genuinely secular and democratic alternative beyond their sphere of influence. This scenario would replicate the strategic failures of the JCPOA, entrenching regime survival without accountability, and directly compromising U.S. and Israeli national security interests.
If negotiations stall, Tehran’s fallback is limited, survivable conflict. The regime has long embraced a strategy of controlled escalation — not to win wars, but to provoke just enough confrontation to shift global focus, fracture internal dissent, and reset its legitimacy. In its calculus, limited war is safer than isolation. That’s why containment must be decisive. If neither diplomacy nor confrontation offer the regime an exit, internal collapse becomes inevitable.
The current diplomatic track with Iran is not designed to prevent conflict or nuclear escalation. It is designed to create space for the regime to survive. That calculation must be reversed. The United States and its allies must pursue containment and isolation as the strategic baseline — not the fallback. That’s how you flip the script — and how you make Tehran fear American resolve again.
* * *
Dr. Aidin Panahi is an Iranian-American research professor, energy expert, and political activist. He is the cofounder of the “From Boston to Iran” initiative and his analyses on security and policy issues have appeared in outlets including The Jerusalem Post, Washington Times, Middle East Forum, Homeland Security Today, and Visegrád24. X: @Aidin_FreeIran 
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Iran and US Begin Second Round of Mediated Nuclear Talks in Rome

A Tactical Trap. Why It’s Time To Flip The Script On Iran.

Ali Khamenei

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

China

Iran

Iran Nuclear Deal

Middle East

Nuclear Weapons

Oman

President Trump

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Steve Witkoff

President Donald Trump is set to visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates next month in his second foreign trip of this term, the White House announced Tuesday. The trip is scheduled to take place from May 13 to May 16.
“The president looks to strengthen ties between the United States and these countries in which he will be visiting,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday during a press briefing. “He’ll be having many bilateral meetings and talks, and we look forward to the trip.”
Trump’s Middle East trip was supposed to be his first foreign visit of this term, but he will now attend Pope Francis’ funeral in Rome later this week.
The trips come as Trump seeks new deals with foreign countries amid his tariff pause and signals his growing relationship with the Gulf countries.
In March, Trump announced that Saudi Arabia committed to investing $1 trillion into the American economy.
“I made a deal with Saudi Arabia. &#8230; I said I&#8217;ll go if you pay $1 trillion to American companies, meaning the purchase over a four-year period of $1 trillion, and they&#8217;ve agreed to do that,” Trump said, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/saudi-arabia-takes-risky-gamble-trumps-america-opinion-2047288" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Newsweek reported</a>.
Also in March, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-secures-1-4-trillion-uae-investment-deal-for-american-industries" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UAE committed</a> to investing $1.4 trillion in American energy, manufacturing, and technology over the next decade.
“This new framework will substantially increase the UAE’s existing investments in the U.S. economy in AI infrastructure, semiconductors, energy, and American manufacturing,” the White House said in a statement announcing the framework.
Saudi Arabia was the first country Trump visited during his first term in 2017, where a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/picture-trump-saudi-arabia-glowing-orb-setting-aaron-bandler" target="_blank" rel="noopener">viral image was</a> captured of him touching an orb alongside Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi at the opening of the Global Centre for Combating Extremist Ideology.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<a href="https://twitter.com/KingSalman?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@KingSalman</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@POTUS</a> inaugurate The Global Center for Combatting Extremist Ideology in Riyadh. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RiyadhSummit?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">#RiyadhSummit</a> <a href="https://t.co/do6cFL7wBW" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/do6cFL7wBW</a>
— Saudi Embassy USA (@SaudiEmbassyUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SaudiEmbassyUSA/status/866354025905754112?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 21, 2017</a></blockquote>
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During his first term, Trump had a strong working relationship with several Gulf states, which led to the Abraham Accords between the UAE, Israel, and Bahrain. The Trump administration has hoped to expand the accords even further to include Saudi Arabia, though the ongoing war in Israel has made any such negotiations more complex.

SAUDI-US-GCC-DIPLOMACY

Trump To Visit Saudi Arabia, Qatar, And UAE In First Middle East Trip This Term

Donald Trump

Qatar

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The Trump administration is meeting with Russian negotiators in Saudi Arabia after having met with Ukraine’s Defense Minister Rustem Umerov in Riyadh over the weekend.
On Sunday night, as their talks finished, Umerov wrote on X: “We have concluded our meeting with the American team. The discussion was productive and focused — we addressed key points including energy. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s goal is to secure a just and lasting peace for our country and our people — and, by extension, for all of Europe. We are working to make that goal a reality.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We have concluded our meeting with the American team. The discussion was productive and focused — we addressed key points including energy.
President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s goal is to secure a just and lasting peace for our country and our people — and, by extension, for all of…
&mdash; Rustem Umerov (@rustem_umerov) <a href="https://twitter.com/rustem_umerov/status/1903908261016870980?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 23, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The Kremlin announced that the talks with the U.S. would center on the “Black Sea Initiative and all aspects related to its renewal,” including “navigation safety,” CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/24/europe/russia-ukraine-war-us-talks-saudi-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The July 2022 “<a href="https://www.un.org/en/black-sea-grain-initiative">Black Sea Grain Initiative</a>” permitted Ukraine to export grain, foodstuffs, and fertilizers from Odesa, Chornomorsk, and Yuzhny/Pivdennyi. A Joint Coordination Centre (JCC) was established in Istanbul to monitor the deal, which Russia terminated in July 2023.
In the last week, both sides accused each other of attacking energy infrastructure in the other’s territory in defiance of the agreement that neither side would do so.
“The leaders agreed that the movement to peace will begin with an energy and infrastructure ceasefire, as well as technical negotiations on implementation of a maritime ceasefire in the Black Sea, full ceasefire and permanent peace,” the White House had <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5202186-zelensky-ukraine-civilian-infrastructure-hit-russia/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. “These negotiations will begin immediately in the Middle East.”
Last Tuesday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky claimed Russia bombed civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, <a href="https://x.com/ZelenskyyUa/status/1902120683699626108?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying,</a> “Right now, in many regions, you can literally hear what Russia truly needs. Around 40 ‘Shahed’ drones are in our skies, and air defense is active. Unfortunately, there have been hits, specifically on civilian infrastructure. A direct hit by a ‘Shahed’ drone on a hospital in Sumy, strikes on cities in the Donetsk region, and attack drones currently in the skies over the Kyiv, Zhytomyr, Sumy, Chernihiv, Poltava, Kharkiv, Kirovohrad, Dnipropetrovsk, and Cherkasy regions.”
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Maria Zakharova, <a href="https://eadaily.com/en/news/2025/03/22/we-will-answer-kiev-as-in-2022-is-trying-to-disrupt-the-negotiations-zakharova" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a> over the weekend:
<blockquote>
Despite the agreement initiated by the United States on non-strikes on energy infrastructure facilities, which Kiev would seem to have officially supported, the treacherous attacks of the Nazi regime on Russian territory continue. On March 19, an oil depot in the Kuban was hit, and on March 21, the Sudzha gas measuring station in the Kursk region was hit. In addition, regular barbaric cases of the deliberate direction of the drones of the Armed Forces of Ukraine to residential buildings and social institutions have been recorded.
</blockquote>

SAUDI-RITZ CARLTON

U.S, Russia Begin Talks In Saudi Arabia While Russia, Ukraine Trade Charges Of Attacks On Energy

Global Politics

Trump Administration

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

World

Ukraine launched its largest drone attack on the area of Moscow on Tuesday amid ongoing peace negotiations attended by Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Saudi Arabia.
During the attack, during which 343 drones were downed over Russia, three employees of a meat warehouse were killed and 17 other people were injured, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-launches-drone-attacks-targeting-moscow-russia-says-2025-03-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The attack reportedly caused Moscow’s four airports to be temporarily shut down.
According to Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, residential buildings were also struck.
Russia attacked Ukraine on Tuesday with a ballistic missile and 126 drones over various parts of the country, injuring two people, Reuters <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraines-air-force-says-it-downed-russian-ballistic-missile-79-drones-2025-03-11/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
The ballistic Iskander-M missile and 79 of the drones were shot down, according to the Ukrainian Air Force. The attack reportedly set a fuel storage facility, a private home, and a storage site for children’s toys, on fire in Odesa, according to Reuters.
President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-warns-of-sanctions-on-russia-if-no-peace-is-achieved" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressed</a> frustration with Russia on Friday for “absolutely pounding Ukraine on the battlefield” amid ongoing ceasefire negotiations. Trump said he is considering imposing sanctions on Russia until a peace deal is reached.
Rubio and other American officials met with their Ukrainian counterparts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia on Tuesday. Several hours into the meetings, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz told reporters, &#8220;We&#8217;re getting there.&#8221;
On Monday, Rubio and Waltz met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman Al Saud in Jeddah, where Rubio thanked the Saudi leader for hosting the United States in talks to help resolve the Ukraine war.
The U.S.-moderated peace talks come just weeks after Trump and Vice President JD Vance <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-and-vance-clash-with-zelensky-in-fiery-white-house-meeting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">clashed</a> with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during a broadcast White House meeting last month that ended with the Ukrainian leader being asked to leave. Zelensky <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-backtracks-after-missteps-with-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">backtracked</a> a few days later, committing to being ready to negotiate peace.

US And Ukrainian Delegations Meet In Saudi Arabia

Ukraine Launches Massive Drone Attack On Russia Amid Ongoing Peace Talks In Saudi Arabia 

Drones

Marco Rubio

President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Ukraine should have &#8220;made a deal&#8221; to avert war against Russia as the bloody conflict nears the three-year mark.
Trump made the comments during a Tuesday press conference in Mar-a-Lago in response to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-team-meets-russian-officials-in-saudi-arabia-to-discuss-ending-ukraine-war" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressing</a> frustrations over being excluded from talks being held between the United States and Russia. U.S. officials, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday.
Asked about Ukraine&#8217;s complaints after the United States met with Russia, Trump said Ukraine should have prevented the bloodshed by making a deal with Russia &#8220;years ago.&#8221;
&#8220;I hear they&#8217;re upset about not having a seat. Well, they&#8217;ve had a seat for three years,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;And a long time before that. This could have been settled very easily. A half-baked negotiator could have settled this years ago.&#8221;
&#8220;You should&#8217;ve never started it,&#8221; Trump added. &#8220;You could&#8217;ve made a deal. I could&#8217;ve made a deal for Ukraine that would have given them almost all of the land, everything, almost all of the land, and no people would have been killed, and no city would have been demolished, and not one dome would have been knocked down. But they chose not to do it that way.&#8221;
<iframe loading="lazy" title="‘They’ve Had A Seat For 3 Years’: Trump Reacts To Ukrainian Anger Over Not Being Included In Talks" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/A-qVhbglWTA?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
More than <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/one-million-are-now-dead-or-injured-in-the-russia-ukraine-war-b09d04e5" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one million</a> people have been killed or injured in the Ukraine-Russia war that began when Russian troops invaded Ukraine on February 24, 2022. Zelensky said on Sunday that he will not even consider any negotiated deal between the United States and Russia.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine,&#8221; Zelensky said on Sunday. &#8220;Never.&#8221;
Trump said the meeting with Russia was &#8220;very good,&#8221; adding that he&#8217;s &#8220;much more confident&#8221; about a deal being made to end the &#8220;barbarianism.&#8221; Even if the United States and Russia come to an agreement on ending the war during their talks in Saudi Arabia, however, getting Zelensky on board will be a major hurdle.
During his remarks on Tuesday, Trump also called on Ukraine to hold elections, claiming that Zelensky has a &#8220;4% approval rating.&#8221; Zelensky <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/19/ukraine-zelenskyy-says-trump-living-in-russian-disinformation-bubble" target="_blank" rel="noopener">responded</a> to Trump&#8217;s comments on Wednesday, saying the president &#8220;is trapped&#8221; in a Russian &#8220;disinformation bubble.&#8221;
“Unfortunately, President Trump, with all due respect for him as the leader of a nation that we respect greatly … is trapped in this disinformation bubble,” the Ukrainian leader said, adding, &#8220;As we are talking about 4%, we have seen this disinformation, we understand it’s coming from Russia.&#8221;
Countries around the world, led by the United States, have aided Ukraine&#8217;s defense throughout the war. According to the State Department, the United States has <a href="https://www.state.gov/bureau-of-political-military-affairs/releases/2025/01/u-s-security-cooperation-with-ukraine#:~:text=To%20date%2C%20we%20have%20provided,invasion%20of%20Ukraine%20in%202014." target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> $65.9 billion in military assistance — which includes weapons, ammunition, missiles, and fighter jets — to Ukraine since the war began.

Trump, Zelensky

‘You Could’ve Made A Deal’: Trump Blames Ukraine For Ongoing War With Russia

Politics

Volodymyr Zelensky

American officials met with Russian officials in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to discuss ending the war in Ukraine, following up on President Donald Trump&#8217;s conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin last week.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Russian Aide to the President Yuri Ushakov, State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Tuesday, sharing that the American trio was &#8220;chosen by President Trump to reestablish the bilateral relationship.&#8221;
&#8220;President Trump wants to stop the killing,&#8221; Bruce said, adding, &#8220;The United States wants peace and is using its strength in the world to bring countries together.  President Trump is the only leader in the world who can get Ukraine and Russia to agree to that.&#8221;
During the meetings, American officials agreed to establish a &#8220;consultation mechanism to address irritants to our bilateral relationship with the objective of taking steps necessary to normalize the operation of our respective diplomatic missions,&#8221; the State Department shared. The leaders also agreed to appoint high-level teams to devise solutions for ending the war in Ukraine, to lay the groundwork for &#8220;future cooperation on matters of mutual geopolitical interest&#8221; as well as economic and investment opportunities that arise from ending the war in Ukraine.
And both Russian and American officials pledged to &#8220;remain engaged to make sure the process moves forward in a timely and productive manner.&#8221;
&#8220;One phone call followed by one meeting is not sufficient to establish enduring peace,&#8221; Bruce <a href="https://www.state.gov/secretary-rubios-meeting-with-russian-foreign-minister-lavrov/">said</a>. &#8220;We must take action, and today we took an important step forward.&#8221;
Trump and Putin have discussed meeting and plan to do so, though American officials did not set a date on Tuesday, Waltz told reporters.
<div id="attachment_878507" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-team-meets-russian-officials-in-saudi-arabia-to-discuss-ending-ukraine-war/russia-us-talks-in-saudi-arabias-capital-riyadh" rel="attachment wp-att-878507"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-878507" class="wp-image-878507 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2199705100-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2199705100-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2199705100-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2199705100-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2199705100-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2199705100-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2199705100-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/02/GettyImages-2199705100-1200x800.jpg 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" /></a>(Photo by Russian Foreign Ministry / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)</div>
&#8220;We&#8217;ve agreed on four principles that I think are important,&#8221; Rubio said in an interview with CNN and the Associated Press following the meeting. &#8220;First is that we are going to point our teams respectively to work very quickly to reestablish the functionality of our respective missions in Washington and in Moscow. For us to be able to continue to move down this road, we need to have diplomatic facilities that are operating and functioning normally.&#8221;
&#8220;The second point is that we’re going to appoint a high-level team from our end to help negotiate and work through the end of the conflict in Ukraine in a way that’s enduring and acceptable to all the parties engaged,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The third point is to begin to work at a high level as well to begin to discuss and think about and examine both the geopolitical and economic cooperation that could result from an end to the conflict in Ukraine. Obviously, we have to see that conflict come to a successful and enduring end in order for that to be possible.&#8221;
He concluded: &#8220;And the last thing we agreed to that is that, while our teams are going to be working on all of this, the four of us who were here today — the five of us that were here today are going to remain engaged in this process to make sure that it’s moving along in a productive way.&#8221;
Waltz stressed in that same interview that the United States is looking for a &#8220;permanent&#8221; end to the war, rather than temporary ends that have occurred in the past.
&#8220;We know just the practical reality is that there is going to be some discussion of territory and there is going to be a discussion of security guarantees,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Those are just fundamental basics that will undergird and underlie any type of discussion.&#8221;
But the National Security Adviser said the most important part of the conversation is that Trump wants to &#8220;end the killing that is going on.&#8221;
&#8220;The death and destruction that is happening as this war goes on and on, month after month after month in the killing fields of eastern and southern Ukraine, is unacceptable,&#8221; he said. &#8220;It is not in the interest of either country.  It’s not in the interest of the world and certainly not in the interest of United States and Europe.&#8221;
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was not invited to Tuesday&#8217;s meeting, and has said that he will not sign any agreement that is negotiated without Ukraine&#8217;s involvement.
“I will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine,” Zelensky <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/zelensky-i-will-never-accept-any-decisions-between-united-states-and-russia-about-ukraine">said in a Sunday interview with &#8220;Meet the Press</a>.&#8221; “Never. And our people, never. And our adults, and children, and everybody, it can’t be so.”
“The war in Ukraine is against us, and it is our human losses,” he continued. “And we are thankful for all the support, unity between USA —in USA around Ukraine support, bipartisan unity, bipartisan support, we’re thankful for all of this.”
On Tuesday, Zelensky said at a news conference in Turkey that Ukraine did not give in to Russia&#8217;s demands three years ago when the war began, and that it will not do so now.
<aside class="pull-quote_block-quote" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/pull-quote/instances/cm7alexpk000f3b6nph24bwl8@published" data-component-name="pull-quote" data-article-gutter="true">
“Russia attacked Ukraine and we had no choice but to take up arms and defend ourselves,&#8221; Zelensky said, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-administration-russia-ukraine-02-18-25/index.html">according to CNN</a>. &#8220;And there was no diplomacy because Russia attacked, attacked Ukraine at night and Ukrainians took up arms and started to defend their country.&#8221;
</aside>
<p class="paragraph inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph" data-uri="cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/cm7aledmp000b3b6nou43uyqe@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-article-gutter="true">“If we didn’t go for all these ultimatums at the most difficult moment, why do we have the feeling that Ukraine will do it now?” he added.
Rubio also met with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on Monday, the State Department said. Both Rubio and the Crown Prince &#8220;reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring that Hamas releases all hostages, including American citizens.&#8221; Rubio also stressed the importance of &#8220;an arrangement for Gaza that contributes to regional security.&#8221;

SAUDI-US-RUSSIA-UKRAINE-CONFLICT-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY

Trump Team Meets Russian Officials In Saudi Arabia To Discuss Ending Ukraine War

Top political leaders from around the world responded to the tragic terrorist attack in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Germany</a> on Friday night that was committed by a Saudi refugee.
The man, a 50-year-old doctor, took his car and allegedly mowed down more than 200 people who were on a packed street. Police believe that the motive is likely his anger toward Germany for not being even more friendly toward refugees than they already are.
“The United States extends our deepest condolences to the people of Germany grieving the terrible attack at a Christmas market yesterday in Magdeburg, Germany,” said President Joe Biden. “No community—and no family—should have to endure such a despicable and dark event, especially just days before a holiday of joy and peace.”
Biden claimed that his administration, which has seen an explosion in terrorism around the world under this watch, was committed to fighting “violent terror.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said that he was “horrified by the atrocious attack in Magdeburg tonight.”
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those affected,” he added. “We stand with the people of Germany.”
French President Emmanuel Macron said that he was “deeply shocked by the horror” of the attack.
“My thoughts are with the victims, the injured, and their loved ones,” he said. “France shares the pain of the German people and expresses its full solidarity.”
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said the “brutal” terrorist attack was carried out against a “defenseless crowd at the Christmas market in Magdeburg.”
“I stand with the entire government, the families of the victims, the injured and all the German people,” she added. “Violence must have no place in our democracies.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen called the attack “cowardly.”
“This act of violence must be investigated and severely punished,” she added.
Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack after the country had repeatedly warned Germany that the suspect was a dangerous threat to their country.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s condemnation of the run-over incident that occurred in a market in the city of Magdeburg in the Federal Republic of Germany, which resulted in the death and injury of a number of people, expressing its solidarity with the German people and the families of the victims,” Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs posted on X.

Germany Attack

World Leaders Respond To Saudi Man’s Terror Attack On Christmas Market

Germany

Radical Islam

Terrorism

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">German</a> law enforcement officials were repeatedly warned by Saudi Arabia that a man who drove into 200+ people at a Christmas event in Germany on Friday night was dangerous — warnings that Germany’s leftist government ignored.
CNN reported that the chief of the Magdeburg Public Prosecutor’s office, Horst Walter Nopens, said that 50-year-old doctor Taleb al-Abdulmohsen may have been “disgruntlement with the way Saudi Arabian refugees are treated in Germany.”
He is accused of driving a car down a road that was completely packed with people who were at a Christmas market in Magdeburg. At least 5 people have died and more than 40 had life threatening injuries.
Saudi Arabia <a href="https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/germany-attack-magdeburg-christmas-market-latest-news-r7hcplkv2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sent</a> three warnings about the suspect to the German government, warning that he had posted extremist views online and was a threat to their security. Saudi Arabia first warned Germany about the man in 2007, just one year after he entered the country, and requested in 2007 and 2008 that he be extradited back to Saudi Arabia.
Mainstream publications latched onto statements that he made online where he claimed that he was aggressively anti-Islam and that he supported the country’s anti-immigration party, the AfD.
However, there have been serious questions raised about whether he was being serious with his posts or if he was trying to deceive people on social media.
Several Iranian dissidents suggested online that the suspect actually was an Islamic extremist and that he was lying about what he really believed.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Taleb Al Abdulmohsen is not an atheist. He is a Shia extremist. Just because a Muslim self identifies as an Atheist or claims to have converted to Christianity &#8211; recent case in the UK &#8211; it doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s truth.
This is Taqiyya.
— Mahyar Tousi (@MahyarTousi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MahyarTousi/status/1870440905771016430?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Despite claims made by the German press, Taleb Al Abdulmohsen is not an ex-Muslim atheist, nor is he a fan of the AfD or Elon Musk. While he may have spread this misinformation himself, it aligns with the practice of Taqqiye, an Islamic doctrine that permits lying and deception… <a href="https://t.co/tU2tRS51Lr">pic.twitter.com/tU2tRS51Lr</a>
— Maral Salmassi (@MaralSalmassi) <a href="https://twitter.com/MaralSalmassi/status/1870413236996092217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The man who was arrested for the most recent terrorist attack on a Christmas market- this time in Magdeburg, Germany- is allegedly Saudi national Taleb Al Abdulmohsen. I’ve known him for years (online only) and he never seemed stable to me. He obsessively went after an ExMuslim…
— Yasmine Mohammed 🦋 ياسمين محمد (@YasMohammedxx) <a href="https://twitter.com/YasMohammedxx/status/1870445459384549490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
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Here is a question:
If the suspect in the Christmas market attack is an ex-Muslim and an atheist then why was he screaming &#8220;Allahu Ukbar&#8221; (at 17 seconds into this video) when he was being arrested?? <a href="https://t.co/wHT7a3Hai8">pic.twitter.com/wHT7a3Hai8</a>
— John Aziz (@aziz0nomics) <a href="https://twitter.com/aziz0nomics/status/1870670754309980663?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></blockquote>
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According to Germany&#8217;s Bild newspaper, police intervened and broke up a demonstration of right-wing Germans who protested after the attack.
German publications called them “right-wing extremists&#8221; who shouted &#8220;disgusting slogans.”
The slogans that were shouted included, “Anyone who doesn’t love Germany should leave Germany,” “Migration kills,” “We must take back our cities, our villages and our homeland,” “Deport, deport, deport,”  and “Resistance.”

Saudi Man Who Mowed Down 200+ People Was Reportedly Mad At Refugee Treatment In Germany

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/germany" target="_blank" rel="noopener">German</a> officials said that the man suspected of carrying out what is believed to be a terrorist attack on a Christmas market on Friday night was from Saudi Arabia.
&#8220;It was a doctor from Saudi Arabia, who&#8217;s been in Germany since 2006,&#8221; said Saxony-Anhalt state premier Reiner Haseloff.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8216;It was a doctor from Saudi Arabia, who&#8217;s been in Germany since 2006.&#8217;
Saxony-Anhalt state premier Reiner Haseloff says the attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg is &#8216;at the moment&#8230; a crime committed by one person&#8217;.
Latest updates: <a href="https://t.co/2DAQRn8PP0">https://t.co/2DAQRn8PP0</a>
📺 Sky 501 <a href="https://t.co/yf6UqJQ0jx">pic.twitter.com/yf6UqJQ0jx</a>
— Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1870220002470629491?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
Germany&#8217;s Bild newspaper said that the suspect drove through nearly 400 yards through a Christmas market in Magdeburg.
The suspect was allegedly not on German law enforcement&#8217;s radar as an Islamic extremist prior to the attack, Bild said.
German media reported that up to 80 people were injured and at least 5 were killed during the gruesome attack, which was caught on video.
WARNING: The following videos contain graphic material.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Terror and heinous attack on Magdeburg’s Christmas market.
Absolutely terrifying.<a href="https://t.co/oFaZGHZlWC">pic.twitter.com/oFaZGHZlWC</a>
— Zineb Riboua (@zriboua) <a href="https://twitter.com/zriboua/status/1870193587649905088?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
BREAKING: Around 60-80 people have been injured after a car was driven into a Christmas market in Germany, according to AFP news agency, which is citing emergency services on the ground.<a href="https://t.co/2DAQRn9nEy">https://t.co/2DAQRn9nEy</a>
📺 Sky 501, Virgin 602, Freeview 233 and YouTube <a href="https://t.co/KJDbni1nQU">pic.twitter.com/KJDbni1nQU</a>
— Sky News (@SkyNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/SkyNews/status/1870197793492742648?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 20, 2024</a></blockquote>
A separate Christmas market in Erfurt was evacuated afterward as a precautionary measure.
This article was updated on December 21 to include further details on the incident.

At Least One Dead And Dozens Injured After Car Plows Into Magdeburg Christmas Market

Suspect In Christmas Terror Attack Is Saudi Arabian Doctor

Experts are warning that President Joe Biden&#8217;s latest plan for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/middle-east" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Middle East</a> could spark a nuclear arms race in the region among Islamic nations.
The details were contained in a New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/17/us/politics/israel-saudi-arabia-gaza.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> about the administration&#8217;s attempts to revive a deal that would normalize ties between Israel and Saudi Arabia, which collapsed after Hamas&#8217; October 7 terrorist attack.
The administration wants Israel to reward the Palestinian people for the unprecedented terrorist attack from Hamas, a terrorist group that they elected to run Gaza, by agreeing to give them their own official state.
Saudi Arabia has informed the Biden administration that it wants a U.S.-Saudi mutual defense pact, which would counter the threat it faces from the Islamic Republic of Iran, and it wants &#8220;cooperation on a civilian nuclear program with uranium enrichment in the kingdom, the sale of advanced American-made weapons and, potentially, a trade deal.&#8221;
Israel is opposed to the deal because its government and people overwhelmingly oppose giving Palestinians their own state as experts warn that it will turn into a haven for Islamic terrorists.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, also known as MBS, has indicated that a nuclear program for the country is his most important priority and that if Iran develops nuclear weapons then his country will, too.
Andrea Stricker, Deputy Director &amp; Research Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies&#8217; Nonproliferation &amp; Biodefense Program, said that the deal &#8220;guarantees a regional nuclear arms race.&#8221;
&#8220;The Biden administration is playing with fire if they open a door to or assist the Saudis with uranium enrichment,&#8221; she told The Daily Wire in a statement. &#8220;This would upend decades of American policy to prevent the spread of the means to make nuclear weapons.&#8221;
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&#8220;Congress must immediately pass a law making bilateral nuclear cooperation contingent on Riyadh ruling out enrichment and plutonium reprocessing and signing an enhanced IAEA inspection agreement, the Additional Protocol,&#8221; she added. &#8220;Otherwise, Biden and Sullivan will have left not Middle East peace as a legacy, but a new trigger for nuclear arms-racing.&#8221;
Rebeccah Heinrichs, senior fellow at Hudson Institute and the director of its Keystone Defense Initiative, slammed the Biden administration&#8217;s &#8220;mismanagement&#8221; of America&#8217;s relationship with Saudi Arabia, calling it &#8220;one of the biggest fumbles of the Biden’s foreign policy.&#8221;
&#8220;The U.S. and [Kingdom of Saudi Arabia] KSA have shared interests in countering Iran’s goal of Middle East hegemony and destroying Iranian terrorist proxies,&#8221; she said. &#8220;But KSA will inch closer to a nuclear weapon to the extent the U.S. permits Iran’s power to grow while restricting Gulf partners and allies in their effort to counter it. It’s in the interest of the U.S. to uphold nonproliferation goals but in its focus on resurrecting the Iran nuclear deal, team Biden may be courting disaster by initiating the groundwork for a Saudi one.&#8221;

French President Macron Hosts Working Lunch With MBS, Crown Prince, Prime Minister Of Saudi Arabia

Experts Warn Biden’s Latest Plan For Middle East Will Ignite Nuclear Arms Race In Islamic World

Executive

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) pushed the Biden administration over the weekend to get a mutual defense agreement signed with Saudi Arabia to help calm tensions in the Middle East.
Graham made the remarks during a Sunday interview with Dana Bash on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; during which they discussed Secretary of State Antony Blinken&#8217;s trip to Saudi Arabia. Blinken said late last week that he thinks Israel and Saudi Arabia can normalize relations even without a ceasefire in Gaza.
&#8220;I have been working with Tony and [national security adviser] Jake [Sullivan], and I have talked to President Biden twice,&#8221; Graham said. &#8220;I want to help them normalize Saudi Arabia and Israel. Saudi Arabia wants a mutual defense agreement with the United States. We have been working on this for weeks. To Tony and Jake, get on with closing the deal on the treaty.&#8221;
&#8220;Without the treaty, [Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman] cannot recognize Israel, and part of the deal will be coming up with a solution to the Palestinian problem,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Saudi Arabia wants a defense agreement with the United States. They want to enrich the 7 percent of the world&#8217;s uranium they have, but we will control enrichment. And they will recognize Israel, but we have got to deal with the Palestinian problem. We&#8217;re running out of time. This would be an historic agreement, building on the Abraham Accords, and I&#8217;d like to see it happen. I&#8217;d like to help President Biden get this done.&#8221;
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&#8220;Without this deal, there is no solution to the Palestinian problem,&#8221; he added. &#8220;Without this deal, everything gets worse. So let&#8217;s get the deal done. We&#8217;re running out of time.&#8221;
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Graham Joins Dana Bash to Discuss Trump Legal Matters and Saudi-Israel Normalization" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CDhlMgaqRDE?start=291&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Graham

Graham Pushes The Biden Admin To Get Defense Agreement Done With Saudi Arabia

Antony Blinken

Congress

Israel

Lindsey Graham

Last night, Israel finally struck back against Iran. 
Last weekend, Iran struck Israel with some 350 drones and missiles. Israel was expecting that it was going to have to fire back against Iran in some form or fashion. 
There are a few different options that were tabled that had been considered. One was a full-scale attack on Iran&#8217;s nuclear facilities, completely degrading their nuclear program. Another option would have been to do virtually nothing, which is what Joe Biden wanted to do. 
Israel last night decided on a third option that would be a targeted strike, limited in nature inside Iran, to warn the Iranians that if they decided that they were going to escalate this confrontation, Israel would get to them much more than they would get to Israel. 
That is what Israel pursued last night: a useful means of deterrence, probably the best available scenario for both America and for America&#8217;s allies in the region. If Israel had gone really heavy, there was always the possibility of serious escalation via Hezbollah in Israel&#8217;s north that could have turned into a larger, full-blown war.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1951-israel-strikes-back-against-iran-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
Now, would it have been more in Israel&#8217;s interest to completely destroy Iran&#8217;s nuclear facility? Sure. It also would have been a lot riskier. Right now, the United States and Israel have been in this very fraught negotiation over what the United States will allow Israel to do. And so the Israeli government took a middle road by issuing this targeted strike against Iran. 
The message was “Listen, you guys fired 350 drones, missiles. We knocked nearly all of that down. We basically can hit you anytime, anywhere we want, so you guys better stand down.” 
That was the goal of the Israelis. And it also offered, because it was so limited in nature, the Iranians an off-ramp, to deny that any of this ever happened or minimize it, which is exactly what Iran did. Iran had been mouthing off a lot about the idea that if Israel launched a serious strike into Iranian territory, then Iran would up the ante with a broader retaliatory strike and then you would have an escalating conflict. Israel issued a strike limited in nature so as to allow the Iranian government the possibility of basically denying that anything had ever happened. 
Israel is playing a different game than Joe Biden is used to. Israel is playing in the Middle East, where what you do matters a hell of a lot more than what you say. Joe Biden has spent his entire career in places where what you say matters a hell of a lot more than what you do. He is completely unfamiliar with the foreign policy realm where what you do matters an awful, awful lot. 
That’s why reality keeps clocking Joe Biden directly in the face. Forget about Israel and Iran for a second. Think about the Saudi Arabian government. When Joe Biden was a candidate for the presidency of the United States, he was extraordinarily critical of Mohammad bin Salman, the heir-apparent in Saudi Arabia and the de facto ruler of the country. Biden suggested that he was a mass human rights violator. 
This meant that the United States had to take a very harsh tactical look at our alliance with Saudi Arabia, up to and including giving the green light to the Houthis in Yemen, an Iranian proxy group, by de-listing them as a terror group. 
And then it turns out that reality intervened. And the Houthis, as it turned out, hate the United States more than they hate the Saudis. It turns out that the Saudis have control over oil supply. And Joe Biden had to go on bended knee to Mohammed bin Salman because what you say in the Middle East does not matter nearly as much as what you do. 
So Israel, without making a big statement, made it clear to Iran: we are going to knock you guys back to the Stone Age. Israel simply did the thing and they let Iran know that if, in fact, Iran decides to escalate, it will do significantly more damage to the Islamic Republic than it will do to Israel. 
All of this again was prefaced by the U.N. Security Council being a completely useless and garbage institution. Israel did what it had to do because the U.N. Security Council could not even bring itself to condemn Iran for a full-scale attack on another nation, an act of war. The U.N. Security Council not only did not condemn Iran for that attack last weekend, they allowed Iran to then lecture Israel, suggesting, “Israel must be compelled to stop any further military adventurism against our interests.” 
The absolute unmitigated sheer gall of that is astonishing. Consider that it is Iranian military adventurism that has led to the entire conflagration in the Middle East, from Iraq to Syria to Lebanon to the Gaza Strip to Judea and Samaria to Yemen. That is Iranian military adventurism that has led to all that and the U.N. Security Council — because the United Nations is the Mos Eisley of international politics, a wretched hive of scum and villainy — the U.N. Security Council was never even willing to take up the possibility of condemning Iran. 
They did, however, take up the possibility in the last 48 hours of a resolution to unilaterally declare Palestinian statehood, which would be an incredibly audacious and stupid move, considering there is no actual government for a Palestinian state. The Gaza Strip is currently governed by Hamas, a terror group that is in an existential war with the state of Israel. The Palestinian Authority has so little control over the West Bank that there is open warfare between Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Palestinian Authority. 
You may as well simply declare a state of unicorn land in a random part of the earth that has no government as declare a Palestinian state — except unicorn land presumably would not necessarily turn into a terrorist state, whereas a Palestinian state already has turned into a terror state and remains as such. 
Israel decided that it was going to do what it had to do and restore the status quo ante before October 7. That is really what this is about. Remember, October 7 was launched specifically with the green light of Iran in order to scuttle a burgeoning Israeli/Saudi peace deal. Israel and Saudi Arabia were establishing a regional alliance in terms of defense to deter Iran and its proxies in the region. And that alliance de facto included Egypt, Jordan, and a bunch of the Saudi-sponsored states like UAE and Bahrain. A variety of these states had basically formed an alliance, and it was just a matter of toppling that last domino in Saudi Arabia for the alliance to go full-scale. 
And if Donald Trump had been elected, there is no doubt in my mind — or the mind of the Israelis or the Saudis — that that deal would have gotten done. 
Even Biden’s stupidity didn’t get in the way. Because Joe Biden had been so conciliatory toward the Iranians, the Saudis had basically gone to the Israelis and said we don&#8217;t trust that Joe Biden is going to come to our defense if Iran attacks us. So let&#8217;s form a regional alliance against Iran. That was really, really close to happening. 
Iran saw that and activated Hamas to go into Israel and kill 1,200 people and take 250 hostages back to the Gaza Strip in the hopes that this would start a conflagration that would burn down the possibility of a Sunni-Israeli deal. 
Now it appears that the status quo ante is now being reinforced. Why? Because Israel has actually preserved its own ability to deter and militarily destroy its enemies. The whole reason for a Saudi peace deal with the Israelis is not because Israel and Saudi Arabia see eye-to-eye on matters of religion. Obviously, they do not.
The reason for the restoration of the status quo ante is that Saudi Arabia looks at Israel and sees Israel is capable of deterring Iran; Israel is capable of destroying its enemies on the battlefront. Israel is an extraordinarily powerful and innovative military machine and they want to be allied with that. 
What Hamas did by striking at Israel was to try to dent that perception in the Saudis. But now Israel has reinforced the perception, the prior perception, by its successful military action in the Gaza Strip, which is why they are now going to go in and finish off Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip. And the last two weeks have shown that Israel not only is capable with its allies of repelling a mass Iranian attack, but also that Israel can strike pretty much where it wants to in Iran. And so Iran had better not escalate because it&#8217;ll be worse for Iran than it will be for Israel. 
And Saudi Arabia wants to sign on to that.

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