Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted to credit his boss, former President Joe Biden, with laying the framework for President Donald Trump&#8217;s historic deal in Gaza — the deal that has so far secured the release of all remaining living hostages and will, if followed, end the war between Israel and the terror group Hamas.
Blinken, who was serving as the nation&#8217;s top diplomat when Hamas militants breached the Israeli border and slaughtered more than 1,200 men, women, and children on October 7, 2023, was part of the initial efforts to reach a ceasefire and the return of some 250 hostages who were also abducted on that day. And while he did give President Trump nominal credit for getting an agreement across the finish line, he made it clear that he believed Biden deserved praise for taking the first steps in that direction.
&#8220;In Gaza today, the guns are largely silent. If all goes as planned, the remaining Israeli hostages will return home. Palestinians will get the relief they desperately need and deserve. Nothing can erase the pain and loss of the past two years. But there is real hope of building on this step to finally end the war,&#8221; Blinken began a series of posts on X. &#8220;President Trump and his envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner deserve our collective thanks for producing this ceasefire and the renewed possibility of lasting peace.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
(2/12) First, what changed to make this breakthrough possible? Hamas is finally and fully isolated. Arab states and Turkey have said “enough.” The misery Hamas provoked and would allow to persist has delegitimized it among most Gazans. And Hamas realized that the cavalry (Iran,…
— Antony Blinken (@ABlinken) <a href="https://twitter.com/ABlinken/status/1977076426932166686?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
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He then laid out the reasons he believed the deal had finally come to fruition — beginning with the fact that Hamas had been &#8220;finally and fully isolated&#8221; but failing to acknowledge the Trump administration&#8217;s active role in enforcing that isolation. He also noted that Hamas had learned the &#8220;cavalry&#8221; – meaning Hezbollah, the Houthis, and even Iran — would not come to their aid in Gaza, but again omitted the fact that Trump had put pressure on Iran to ensure exactly that outcome.
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&#8220;In the coming days we can expect to see joyful images: of hostages reunited with their loved ones and the people of Gaza getting respite from the war and receiving the help they need,&#8221; Blinken continued, flashing back to the Biden administration and the early ceasefire-for-hostages deals. &#8220;We’ve seen these images before. Under President Biden’s watch, we secured the release of 135 hostages and, in January 2025 we handed over a ceasefire with Israeli forces pulling back, tens of thousands of aid trucks going into Gaza and a post conflict plan for a permanent end to hostilities.&#8221;
The real question going forward, Blinken said, was simple: &#8220;How can we build a lasting peace?&#8221; He then claimed that the Biden administration had developed the plan for Gaza, and that Trump had simply &#8220;adopted and built on&#8221; that.
&#8220;It starts with a clear and comprehensive post conflict plan for Gaza. It’s good that President Trump adopted and built on the plan the Biden Administration developed after months of discussion with Arab partners, Israel and the Palestinian Authority,&#8221; Blinken said.
Trump was neither convinced nor impressed by Blinken&#8217;s claims, and said so to reporters aboard Air Force One. &#8220;Everybody knows that&#8217;s a joke. They did such a bad job. This should&#8217;ve never happened. This wouldn&#8217;t have happened. That was weak leadership, terrible — and the same thing with Russia,&#8221; Trump said. &#8220;Everything they did was the opposite of what you should&#8217;ve done.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a>: &#8220;Everybody knows that&#8217;s a joke. They did such a bad job. This should&#8217;ve never happened&#8230; Everything they did was the opposite of what you should&#8217;ve done.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/NAJbjDO9qf">https://t.co/NAJbjDO9qf</a> <a href="https://t.co/m27U4btgZf">pic.twitter.com/m27U4btgZf</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977545927159083136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Sec. Anthony Blinken

Antony Blinken Tries To Give Biden Credit For Teeing Up Trump’s Gaza Deal

Antony Blinken

Donald Trump

Gaza

Global Politics

Hamas

Israel

Jared Kushner

Joe Biden

Politics

Steve Witkoff

On Saturday, Israeli citizens packed the streets of what&#8217;s been dubbed &#8220;Hostage Square&#8221; in Tel Aviv, showing their gratitude for President Donald Trump, who brokered a peace deal to end Israel’s two-year war in Gaza and release Israeli hostages.
Those in attendance repeatedly chanted &#8220;Thank you, Trump,&#8221; wore &#8220;MAGA&#8221; apparel, and even held a massive banner that called for the president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.
<div id="attachment_984751" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-984751" class="wp-image-984751 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/10/GettyImages-2240008731.jpg 1024w" sizes=" (max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />Chris McGrath/Getty Images</div>
Speaking to CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer, the network&#8217;s international correspondent Clarissa Ward said she heard &#8220;endless applause for President Trump.&#8221; Blitzer noted many people were wearing &#8220;Make America Great Again&#8221; hats.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;Endless applause for President Trump.&#8221;
&#8220;I even saw people wearing Make America Great Again hats in that crowd over at Hostage Square.&#8221;
THE PRESIDENT OF PEACE! <a href="https://t.co/tDuXPfdSWm">pic.twitter.com/tDuXPfdSWm</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977099635069260209?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
The crowd was addressed by United States Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, as well as Jared Kushner, who&#8217;s been acting as an informal adviser on Middle East policy, and Trump&#8217;s daughter Ivanka Trump.
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&#8220;May God bless the souls of the fallen. May God bless the hostages and their families as they return home,&#8221; Witkoff told the crowd. &#8220;May God bless the state of Israel. May God bless the United States of America. And may God bless Donald J. Trump, the greatest president the world has ever seen.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
&#8220;May God bless the souls of the fallen. May God bless the hostages and their families&#8230; May God bless the state of Israel. May God bless the United States,&#8221; says <a href="https://twitter.com/SEPeaceMissions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SEPeaceMissions</a>.
&#8220;And may God bless Donald J. Trump — the greatest President the world has ever seen.&#8221; 💙 <a href="https://t.co/vp5sMCQJs8">pic.twitter.com/vp5sMCQJs8</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977082795693687142?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Kushner, who&#8217;s said to have <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/5549996-kushner-trump-peace-deal/">played a major role</a> in negotiating the peace agreement, told the crowd he was heartbroken over the October 7 attack and proud of Israel for remaining true to its values in response.
“I put Jared there because he’s a very smart person and he knows the region, knows the people, knows a lot of the players,” Trump <a href="https://thehill.com/policy/international/5549996-kushner-trump-peace-deal/">said</a> earlier this week, addressing his son-in-law&#8217;s impactful role.
As Kushner spoke, folks in the Hostage Square chanted, &#8220;Thank you, Trump.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Thank you President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> for your commitment to bring this horrible conflict to an end.” <a href="https://t.co/gSGXzLEyc0">pic.twitter.com/gSGXzLEyc0</a>
— Jared Kushner (@jaredkushner) <a href="https://twitter.com/jaredkushner/status/1977117553534304752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Ivanka told the crowd that her father always stands with the people of Israel, again to applause and chants of &#8220;Thank you, Trump.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Cheers of &#8220;THANK YOU, TRUMP!&#8221; ring out in Tel Aviv as <a href="https://twitter.com/IvankaTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IvankaTrump</a> addresses the crowd eagerly awaiting the hostages to finally come home ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/1bRGiGhIOM">pic.twitter.com/1bRGiGhIOM</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1977073322392277357?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 11, 2025</a></blockquote>
Remaining Israeli hostages are expected to be released by Monday.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ben-shapiro-breaks-down-trumps-extraordinary-israel-hamas-peace-deal-and-what-comes-next">Ben Shapiro Breaks Down Trump’s ‘Extraordinary’ Israel-Hamas Peace Deal And What Comes Next</a>

Israelis gather in Tel Aviv to celebrate the ceasefire agreement reached in Gaza

Chants Of ‘Thank You, Trump’ And Calls For Nobel Peace Prize Erupt At Israel’s Hostage Square

Benjamin Netanyahu

Hostages

Ivanka Trump

World

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday the &#8220;only way&#8221; to achieve a peace deal between Ukraine and Russia is for both sides to make concessions.
Rubio made the comments to &#8220;Meet The Press&#8221; anchor Kristen Welker during an <a href="https://x.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957071926645391805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> on NBC News a couple days after President Donald Trump met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska to discuss ending the years-long conflict.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecRubio?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecRubio</a>: &#8220;The only way to reach a deal is for each side to get something and each side to give something — and that&#8217;s been very difficult. If it was easy, this wouldn&#8217;t have been going on for 3.5 years&#8230; That&#8217;s why Zelensky is coming tomorrow.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/Z5h2tv9wRz">pic.twitter.com/Z5h2tv9wRz</a>
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1957071926645391805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;As you can imagine, everybody goes into a negotiation wanting 100% of what they want. That includes Ukraine, but obviously the Russians. And the only way to reach a deal on anything, whether it&#8217;s in business or in politics or in geopolitics, the only way to reach a deal is for each side to get something, and each side to give something,&#8221; Rubio said.
He continued, &#8220;And that&#8217;s been very difficult. If it was easy, this wouldn&#8217;t have been going on for three and a half years. Understand the longer these wars go on, the harder they are to end unfortunately. Because one side is always looking for leverage on the other, in this particular case, the Russia side as well.&#8221;
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and European leaders are expected to huddle with Trump at the White House on Monday. Another meeting with Putin could follow if there is a viable path toward peace.
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Trump has <a href="https://x.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1956528613987107020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that land swaps and safety measures are part of the discussion, although it remains to be seen whether Russia and Ukraine will ultimately agree to such terms.
During another interview on Sunday, U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff told CNN that Putin will not stand for Ukraine to join NATO, but is open to allowing some kind of arrangement that would allow the United States to effectively provide one of its major security tenets.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Tapper: &#8220;You mentioned the Article 5 guarantee of NATO&#8230;Russia would allow that to happen?&#8221;
Witkoff: &#8220;That&#8217;s not what I said. What I said is we got to an agreement that the U.S. and other European nations could effectively offer Article 5-like language for security guarantees.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/gIiT59IdQJ">pic.twitter.com/gIiT59IdQJ</a>
— The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) <a href="https://twitter.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1957071026434584868?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 17, 2025</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;We were able to win the following concession: that the United States could offer Article 5-like protection, which is one of the real reasons why Ukraine wants to be in NATO,&#8221; Witkoff <a href="https://x.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1957071026434584868" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> to &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; host Jake Tapper. &#8220;We sort of were able to bypass that and get an agreement that the United States could offer Article 5 protection, which was the first time we had ever heard the Russians agree to that.&#8221;

Secretary of State Marco Rubio

Rubio Reveals The ‘Only Way’ To Achieve Ukraine-Russia Peace Deal

Marco Rubio

Russia

Trump Administration

U.S.

Ukraine

Ukraine-Russia War

President Donald Trump&#8217;s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, sat down with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow for three hours on Wednesday, just two days before Trump&#8217;s deadline for Russia to agree to peace with Ukraine.
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/114982898525988419">post</a> on Truth Social, Trump said the meeting was &#8220;highly productive,&#8221; adding that &#8220;great progress was made!&#8221;
&#8220;Afterwards, I updated some of our European Allies. Everyone agrees this War must come to a close, and we will work towards that in the days and weeks to come,&#8221; Trump wrote.
The Kremlin said the meeting resulted in &#8220;a very useful and constructive conversation,&#8221; ABC News <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/amp/International/trump-envoy-witkoff-arrives-moscow-ahead-ukraine-ceasefire/story?id=124402204">reported</a>. The discussion focused on the war in Ukraine, along with potential &#8220;strategic cooperation between the United States and Russia,&#8221; according to Putin aide, Yuri Ushakov. Witkoff also met with Kirill Dmitriev, the head of Russia&#8217;s sovereign wealth fund.
Ushakov said that the Kremlin would wait until Witkoff reports to Trump to comment further on the meeting. As of Wednesday afternoon, the White House has not provided any details on Witkoff&#8217;s talks with Putin.
The meeting marked Witkoff&#8217;s fifth visit with Putin since Trump was sworn into office for his second term and vowed to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. So far, none of Witkoff&#8217;s meetings with the Russian authoritarian have resulted in any action toward peace between Moscow and Kyiv. The only deals Russia and Ukraine have agreed to are prisoner swaps and a Black Sea ceasefire that both nations accused each other of breaking.
Last week, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-shortens-initial-50-day-deadline-for-putin-to-reach-peace-deal-with-ukraine">increased pressure</a> on Putin to reach a peace deal, giving Russia until Friday — a much shorter timeframe than the 50-day deadline he initially gave Putin last month. Trump also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dispatches-nuclear-submarines-after-highly-provacative-statements-from-russia">said</a> Friday that he repositioned two nuclear submarines in response to former Russian President Dmitri Medvedev saying that Trump&#8217;s ultimatums to Russia were &#8220;a step towards war.&#8221;
&#8220;Words are very important, and can often lead to unintended consequences, I hope this will not be one of those instances,&#8221; Trump said after announcing that he was moving the nuclear subs. He added that Medvedev should &#8220;watch his words&#8221; and that he was &#8220;entering very dangerous territory!&#8221;
Russia responded after Trump&#8217;s move, saying that the Kremlin &#8220;is very cautious about nuclear nonproliferation matters, and we believe everyone should be very careful about nuclear rhetoric.&#8221;
&#8220;There can be no winner in a nuclear war,&#8221; Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov added. &#8220;This is probably the key premise we rely on. We do not think there is talk of any escalation.&#8221;
As Russian airstrikes on Ukraine have increased in recent weeks, Trump has threatened to punish Russia with secondary tariffs if it does not end the fighting by his Friday deadline. The secondary tariffs would be imposed on countries that do business with Russia, such as buying Russian oil, a move that the Trump administration hopes would cut deeply into Moscow&#8217;s war chest. Russia&#8217;s biggest oil customers are India and China.
This article has been updated to include a post from President Trump.

Putin, Witkoff

Trump Envoy Steve Witkoff Holds 3-Hour Meeting With Putin As Peace Deadline Nears

Vladimir Putin

Steve Witkoff, the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, and Mike Huckabee, the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, toured a humanitarian aid distribution site operated by the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) today, as the organization marked the distribution of its 100 millionth meal.
For more than five hours, Witkoff and Huckabee observed the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation distributing aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip and assessed site conditions to report back to President Donald Trump on the group’s ongoing work.
Witkoff said the purpose of the visit was to give Trump “a clear understanding of the humanitarian situation and help craft a plan to deliver food and medical aid to the people of Gaza.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/state-department-slams-senate-democrats-over-calls-to-defund-gaza-humanitarian-foundation?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=State+Department+Slams+Senate+Democrats+Over+Calls+To+Defund+Gaza+Humanitarian+Foundation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">STATE DEPARTMENT SLAMS SENATE DEMOCRATS OVER CALLS TO DEFUND GAZA HUMANITARIAN FOUNDATION</a>
Witkoff is currently on a multi-day trip to Israel, where he has met with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza.
The tour included briefings with the Israeli Defense Forces and speaking to “folks on the ground.” Witkoff — who was wearing a Make America Great Again hat— posted a photo of him shaking the hand of a Gazan woman.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
At <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@POTUS</a>’s direction, <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbIsrael?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@USAmbIsrael</a> and I met yesterday with Israeli officials to discuss the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Today, we spent over five hours inside Gaza — level setting the facts on the ground, assessing conditions, and meeting with <a href="https://twitter.com/GHFUpdates?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">@GHFUpdates</a> and other… <a href="https://t.co/aCtLuMuhq1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/aCtLuMuhq1</a>
— Special Envoy Steve Witkoff (@SEPeaceMissions) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1951281182286500025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">August 1, 2025</a></blockquote>
“President Trump understands the stakes in Gaza and that feeding civilians, not Hamas, must be the priority,” GHF Spokesperson Chapin Fay said in a statement. “Today he sent his envoy to serve as his eyes and ears on the ground, reflecting his deep concern and commitment to doing what’s right.”
GHF is responsible for carrying out President Donald Trump’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-orders-humanitarian-aid-delivered-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=15&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Sends+Aid+To+Gaza.+Israel+Will+Not+Distribute+It." target="_blank" rel="noopener">aid initiative</a>, which aims to deliver humanitarian aid directly to Gazan civilians while preventing Hamas from intercepting supplies — a challenge that has persisted since the war began.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">EXCLUSIVE: NEW FOOTAGE SHOWS UN CONVOY DRIVING INTO MOB OF GAZANS, CASUALTIES REPORTED</a>
“GHF delivers more than one million meals a day, an incredible feat!” Huckabee posted.
GHF hit a milestone on Friday by distributing its 100 millionth meal since launching operations to feed Gazan civilians on May 26.
According to GHF, their aid boxes include enough food to feed a family of 5.5 three times a day for 3.5 days. Items vary depending on availability, cost, and other factors but are built off of similar ingredient lists used by other humanitarian groups.
“Gaza is one of the most complex operating environments in the world, and we are very proud of the incredible work our dedicated team has accomplished,” GHF Executive Chairman Rev. Johnnie Moore said in a statement. “However, the milestone is bittersweet given the continued shortage of aid coming into Gaza from other humanitarian groups who either lack the ability to safely deliver it or the willingness to work with those who can.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/united-kingdom-threatens-to-recognize-state-of-palestine-if-israel-doesnt-agree-to-ceasefire?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=United+Kingdom+Threatens+To+Recognize+‘State+of+Palestine’+If+Israel+Doesn’t+Agree+To+Ceasefire" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UNITED KINGDOM THREATENS TO RECOGNIZE ‘STATE OF PALESTINE’ IF ISRAEL DOESN’T AGREE TO CEASEFIRE</a>
<a href="https://app.un2720.org/tracking/intercepted" target="_blank" rel="noopener">According to United Nations</a> data, between May and July of this year, 1,753 trucks meant to distribute aid were “intercepted either peacefully by hungry civilians or forcefully by armed actors,” leaving a limited number of trucks to successfully arrive at UN warehouses.
A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-new-footage-shows-un-convoy-driving-into-mob-of-gazans-casualties-reported?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+New+Footage+Shows+UN+Convoy+Driving+Into+Mob+Of+Gazans%2C+Casualties+Reported" target="_blank" rel="noopener">video obtained</a> by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, as more than a dozen UN aid trucks enter a dense crowd along the Morag route. As the convoy attempts to pass through, a mob swarms the vehicles, climbing aboard and looting the supplies.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
EXCLUSIVE: A new video obtained by The Daily Wire shows a chaotic scene in southern Gaza last Thursday, where Gazans swarm and loot a U.N. aid convoy.
The IDF says it received reports of casualties in the same area and on the same day involving aid trucks. <a href="https://t.co/TP0hhl0bms" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pic.twitter.com/TP0hhl0bms</a>
— Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1950605086058598840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">July 30, 2025</a></blockquote>
Due to the constant looting of UN trucks, GHF has repeatedly offered to help the UN distribute aid, but the offer has gone unanswered. Instead, the UN has continued <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/well-break-your-legs-un-accused-of-mafia-type-response-to-u-s-led-gaza-relief-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to vilify</a> the group.
The GHF has pushed back on accusations that its distribution sites are dangerous, noting that aid supplies are emptied daily by Gazan civilians, many of whom express thanks for the free assistance.
“The media says our sites are a death trap, but our workers are interacting with these people every day,” Johnnie Moore, the GHF executive chairman, said. “We see at our distribution sites something people haven’t seen in a long time in the Gaza Strip: we see smiles every single day on the faces of women, on the faces of children.”
According to GHF, security issues at its sites have been limited and are typically instigated by individuals the GHF believes are affiliated with Hamas. Incidents include <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-veterans-injured-in-grenade-attack-while-distributing-aid-in-gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a grenade attack</a> by terrorists that injured two American contractors, and a stampede earlier this month triggered by armed men inciting chaos in the crowd that resulted in the deaths of 20 Gazan civilians.

Witkoff and Huckabee

Witkoff And Huckabee Tour Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Site As Group Distributes 100 Millionth Meal

Mike Huckabee

President Donald Trump blamed Hamas for the collapse of the ceasefire and hostage negotiations between the United States, Israel, and Hamas on Friday, claiming that the terror group “wants to die.”
“They pulled out in terms of negotiation,” Trump said. “It was too bad. Hamas didn’t really want to make a deal. I think they want to die and it’s very, very bad. It got to be to a point where you’re going to finish the job.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
“I think they want to die.”
Trump reacts to Hamas not taking the ceasefire and hostage negotiation talks seriously. <a href="https://t.co/1mbOi7f0qK">pic.twitter.com/1mbOi7f0qK</a>
&mdash; Kassy Akiva (@KassyAkiva) <a href="https://twitter.com/KassyAkiva/status/1948748011326111749?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Trump added that Hamas did not want to make a deal because they are down to the final 50 hostages and “they know what happens after you get the final hostages.”
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admin-ditches-unesco-says-its-a-hotbed-of-woke-and-anti-israel-propaganda?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=2&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admin+Ditches+UNESCO%2C+Says+It%E2%80%99s+A+Hotbed+Of+Woke+And+Anti-Israel+Propaganda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TRUMP ADMIN DITCHES UNESCO, SAYS IT’S A HOTBED OF WOKE AND ANTI‑ISRAEL PROPAGANDA </a>
“So they pulled out and they’re going to have to fight and they’re going to have to clean it up,” the president said.
Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff <a href="https://x.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1948427713687040473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> on Thursday that the talks for a deal fell through because Hamas was not acting “in good faith.”
“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff wrote. “It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.”
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Hamas said it was surprised by Witkoff’s announcement, and reaffirmed its “keenness to continue negotiations,” <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-862179" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the Jerusalem Post.</a>
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Friday that the United States and Israel are considering “alternative options” to return the hostages.
“Together with our U.S. allies, we are now considering alternative options to bring our hostages home, end Hamas’s terror rule, and secure lasting peace for Israel and our region,” he said.
Hamas has grown increasingly hostile toward American involvement in the war, leading to threats and attacks against American contractors distributing food aid through the U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. Earlier this month, two contractors were injured when terrorists, believed by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation to be affiliated with Hamas, threw <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/american-veterans-injured-in-grenade-attack-while-distributing-aid-in-gaza?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=4&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=American+Veterans+Injured+In+Grenade+Attack+While+Distributing+Aid+In+Gaza" target="_blank" rel="noopener">two grenades</a> at them.
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Shortly after Witkoff’s announcement, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state this September during the United Nations General Assembly. He framed the move as a broader effort to fulfill France’s commitment to “a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
Netanyahu fired back, claiming that Macron’s announcement “rewards terror and risks creating another Iranian proxy, just as Gaza became.”
“A Palestinian state in these conditions would be a launch pad to annihilate Israel — not to live in peace beside it,” Netanyahu added. “Let’s be clear: the Palestinians do not seek a state alongside Israel; they seek a state instead of Israel.”

Trump And Hamas

Trump Blames Hamas for Ceasefire Collapse, Says Terror Group ‘Wants To Die’

French President Emmanuel Macron announced on Thursday that France will formally recognize a Palestinian state this September during the United Nations General Assembly.
In <a href="https://x.com/EmmanuelMacron/status/1948462359468802252" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a post on X</a>, Macron framed the move as part of a broader effort to fulfill France’s commitment to “a just and lasting peace in the Middle East.”
The announcement comes just hours after talks for a ceasefire and hostage deal fell through due to Hamas not acting “in good faith,” <a href="https://x.com/SEPeaceMissions/status/1948427713687040473" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to</a> Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff.
“We will now consider alternative options to bring the hostages home and try to create a more stable environment for the people of Gaza,” Witkoff wrote. “It is a shame that Hamas has acted in this selfish way.”
Macron outlined five key priorities: ending the war in Gaza, securing the release of hostages, delivering humanitarian aid to Gazans, demilitarizing Hamas, and rebuilding the Gaza Strip.
Macron wrote that it is “essential to build the State of Palestine, ensure its viability, and enable it, by accepting its demilitarization and fully recognizing Israel, to contribute to the security of all in the Middle East.”
“There is no alternative,” he added.
Macron said his decision followed commitments made to him by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Abbas is currently in his 20th year of what was originally a four-year term.
France is the most influential European country to recognize a Palestinian state, joining more than a dozen others — including Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Sweden. All told, over 140 countries have recognized a Palestinian state.
Israel has strongly opposed the establishment of a Palestinian state in Judea and Samaria, also known as the West Bank and Gaza, and says doing so now would reward the terrorists who murdered over 1,000 Israelis on October 7, 2023.
“Macron’s recognition of a Palestinian state after the October 7th massacre isn’t diplomacy; it’s moral collapse,” Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett <a href="https://x.com/naftalibennett/status/1948467824974070119?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1948467824974070119%7Ctwgr%5Edf79465ad3901908a5438dac8f5558f2b354374c%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.jpost.com%2Finternational%2Farticle-862175" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted to X</a> in response. “It rewards mass murder and tells Islamist terrorists: kill Jews, and the world will hand you a state. This shameful decision will be tossed into the dustbin of history.”
There has never been a Palestinian state. Prior to Israeli occupation, Judea and Samaria were occupied by Jordan, and Gaza by Egypt.
Israeli Minister of Finance <a href="https://x.com/bezalelsm/status/1948477377576600027" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Betzalel Smotrich said</a> France&#8217;s announcement provides a &#8220;compelling reason&#8221; to apply Israeli sovereignty over Judea and Samaria.
&#8220;I thank President Macron for providing yet another compelling reason to finally apply Israeli sovereignty over the historic regions of Judea and Samaria, and to definitively abandon the failed concept of establishing a Palestinian terrorist state in the heart of the Land of Israel,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;This will be our fitting Zionist response to the one-sided pressure and coercive measures led by President Macron and his allies.&#8221;
On Wednesday, Israel’s Knesset voted in favor of a declaratory resolution in support of applying Israeli sovereignty to Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley in a vote of 71-13.
“The Knesset affirms that the State of Israel has a natural, historical, and legal right to the entirety of the Land of Israel – the ancestral homeland of the Jewish people,” the resolution <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-862007">reads</a>. “The Knesset calls upon the cabinet of Israel to act promptly to extend Israeli sovereignty, including law, jurisdiction, and administration, over all areas of Jewish communities, in all its forms, in <a href="https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-861776" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Judea, Samaria, and the Jordan Valley</a>.
More than 500,000 Israelis live in Judea and Samaria.

European Union Leaders on Day Two of Summit

Macron Announces Plans To Recognize ‘Palestine’ As Hamas Upends Ceasefire Talks

Emmanuel Macron

Judea and Samaria

Palestine

West Bank

When it comes to the United States and our allies, one of the great failures of American foreign policy since the end of World War II is this bizarre idea in the United States that if our allies are imperfect, it somehow makes sense to abandon them. 
This is what we did in Vietnam. Our allies were imperfect, so we abandoned them, and then the Viet Cong took over. The same thing happened in Afghanistan, where our allies were seriously imperfect. And by imperfect, I mean there were a lot of terrible people involved in the Northern Alliance, along with tremendous corruption in Afghanistan’s government. The Taliban, it turns out, were significantly worse. 
So when it comes to determining what&#8217;s happening with Russia and Ukraine and what should happen next, the question is less about whether Ukraine is perfect. It certainly is not. The questions are: What exactly does Russia want? What is in America&#8217;s best interest?
I can tell you what is not in America&#8217;s best interest: a larger, more powerful Russia. In determining how to negotiate an end to the Russia-Ukraine war that originally broke out in 2014 with the Russian takeover of the Donbas and Crimea, and then was reignited by the full-scale Russian invasion of 2022, it&#8217;s simply not enough to try to figure out what the “rational middle ground” looks like. 
What the Trump administration is currently trying to do is find a solution. Well, you can find a solution, but unless you have a way to actually implement the solution, any solution you propose is meaningless.
No matter how hard you try, you cannot impose the solution from the outside in the way the United States would if, for example, we had boots on the ground — and we don&#8217;t want boots on the ground. That means you somehow have to get the Russians to the table. Both sides need to be at the table. The Ukrainians are at the table. Right now, however, the Russians are not at the table.
America is not the dominant force in the region, nor do we want to be. However, the Ukrainians being at the table means it&#8217;s now time for the Russians to come to the table. So, how do you get them there? 
As Volodymyr Zelensky mentioned in our interview, he&#8217;s already agreed to an immediate three-day ceasefire. The Russians have not.
He&#8217;s already agreed to a rare earth minerals deal with the United States that is heavily slanted toward the United States.
<h3><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2186?elementPosition=0&amp;location=Home%20Tab&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Home%20Featured%20Carousel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h3>
We already know what the Ukrainians want. They want the Russians to stop the war. Again, Ukrainians did not start this war — they did not cross the Russian border.
They want security guarantees, more durable security guarantees than the ones they gave in 1994 to give up their nuclear weapons. The Ukrainians want security guarantees that are material realities, not just promises.
The Ukrainians have already figured out that European and American promises tend to fade over time. They gave up their own nuclear weapons for a promise that the U.S. and the UK would respect Ukrainian territorial sovereignty, and it didn&#8217;t work out very well for them.
The Ukrainians want the freedom to pursue a closer relationship with the EU and NATO. That makes sense because the Russians continue to press while the Ukrainians want to press back the other way.
President Zelensky basically wants what happened at the end of the Korean War: an armistice. In 1953, South Korea and North Korea drew a line and created a demilitarized zone. They agreed to a cessation of hostilities and repatriation of peace. Then the war ended.
Officially, the war is still active but in practice the war ended because North Korea understands that if it crosses the South Korean border, it will be obliterated, partially because of the American troops stationed on that border.
Now, to be clear, the Ukrainians are not asking for American troops to be stationed on their border, but they&#8217;re ready for an armistice today. They do want security guarantees. We know what they want. They&#8217;re at the table.
The real question in all of this, the question that people do not want to ask, is what exactly do the Russians want? What would bring the Russians to the table?
Well, we actually know what the Russians want.
According to a speech Vladimir Putin gave last June, he wants:
<ol>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">No NATO membership for Ukraine, ever.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ukrainian recognition of Crimea and Donbas as Russian territory.</li>
<li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1">Ukraine&#8217;s demilitarization and what he calls “Denazification.” What he really means is he wants the installation of a puppet regime in Kyiv and the lifting of all anti-Russia sanctions.</li>
</ol>
That’s just called surrender.
Now, Ukraine can&#8217;t surrender her entire government and autonomy and live at the whim of Vladimir Putin, who has literally killed tens of thousands of Ukrainians in an aggressive war and kidnapped tens of thousands of Ukrainian children into Russia.
So again, I ask, what would get Russia to the table?
Now, Steve Witkoff is supposedly a magical negotiator. President Trump has deployed him to Iran, Gaza, and now Ukraine, and seems to think that either Ukraine is the problem or that Russia can be wheedled into dropping its core demands, and that if you tweet hard enough at them, Vladimir Putin will suddenly become friendly. Witkoff and the administration are now threatening to walk away from negotiations if the two sides don&#8217;t come together.
This misses the entire point.
Russia would love for that to happen. They want the war to continue, because when Russia says they want negotiation, that&#8217;s code for they want a continuation of the war.
What they want is either to take giant chunks out of Ukraine until they eat the whole thing over time, or they want the war to continue until the West gives way.
Why? Because Ukraine is extraordinarily key to Russia&#8217;s entire vision of itself as an empire. And that empire is geared in absolutely irremediable fashion against the United States of America.

TOPSHOT-RUSSIA-POLITICS-PUTIN-INAUGURATION

What Exactly Does Russia Want?

Afghanistan

Ben Shapiro

Opinion

President Trump

Volodymyr Zelensky

President Donald Trump&#8217;s special envoy Steve Witkoff arrived in Russia Friday morning to push for peace as Ukraine was hit with another series of deadly airstrikes overnight and a top Russian general was assassinated in a car bombing near Moscow.
Witkoff&#8217;s arrival comes after Trump said on Thursday that he was &#8220;not happy&#8221; with Russian strikes against Ukraine and urged President Vladimir Putin to stop the attacks. After those comments, Ukraine was hit with another wave of drone attacks, and Russian Lt. Gen. Yaroslav Moskalik, a high-level military official, was killed in a car bombing in Balashikha.
Witkoff <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/trumps-envoy-witkoff-arrives-moscow-interfax-reports-2025-04-25/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">arrived</a> in Moscow on Friday morning, where he met with Putin and other Russian officials. His trip comes one day after the Trump administration urged both sides to accept the terms the United States had proposed to end the war.
“This war is endable. Both sides just have to agree to it. We’ve shown them a pathway forward. We’ve discussed those ideas,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-hopeful-ukraine-russia-war-endable?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=0&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=‘We’ve+Shown+Them+The+Finish+Line’%3A+White+House+Remains+Hopeful+That+Ukraine-Russia+War+Is+‘Endable’" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Thursday. “It was a good meeting yesterday. There will be good meetings over the weekend. We’ve shown them the finish line. We need both of them to say yes.”
“What happened (Wednesday) night with those missile strikes should remind everybody of why this war needs to end,” the Secretary of State continued. “It’s horrible that those missiles landed. It’s even worse … that people were alive yesterday that are not alive today because this war continues.”
Ukrainian officials <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-says-russia-kills-3-in-drone-attack-after-trump-rebukes-putin/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> Friday that another Russian drone attack overnight in southeastern Ukraine had killed at least three people, including a 76-year-old woman and a child, and injured 10 more. Ukraine reported that five different regions had been hit by 103 Shahed and decoy drones.
That came after attacks on Thursday in Kyiv, where Ukrainian officials reported that at least 12 people were killed and another 87 wounded. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-admonishes-putin-over-airstrikes-on-kyiv-vladimir-stop?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Admonishes+Putin+Over+Airstrikes+On+Kyiv%3A+‘Vladimir%2C+STOP%21’" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called out</a> Putin for those attacks, saying that it was hurting peace negotiations.
&#8220;I am not happy with the Russian strikes on KYIV. Not necessary, and very bad timing. Vladimir, STOP! 5000 soldiers a week are dying,&#8221; Trump wrote in a post on his Truth Social platform. &#8220;Lets get the Peace Deal DONE!&#8221;
Trump has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-blasts-zelensky-over-inflammatory-statements-making-it-difficult-to-settle-this-war?author=Zach+Jewell&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Blasts+Zelensky+Over+‘Inflammatory+Statements’+Making+It+‘Difficult+To+Settle+This+War’" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expressed frustration</a> with Zelensky, accusing him of making &#8220;inflammatory statements&#8221; that are not helping negotiations.
“He can have Peace or, he can fight for another three years before losing the whole Country,” Trump said Wednesday. “I have nothing to do with Russia, but have much to do with wanting to save, on average, five thousand Russian and Ukrainian soldiers a week, who are dying for no reason whatsoever.”

RUSSIA-US-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY

Team Trump Arrives In Russia As Ukraine Hit By More Strikes, Top Russian General Assassinated

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

Saudi Arabia

President Donald Trump is “dead serious” about Iran from getting a nuclear weapon and is willing to use military force if necessary, according to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth appeared on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures” to discuss nuclear talks between the United States and Iran that kicked off on Saturday. Hegseth said that while the administration is committed to finding a peaceful solution to Iran’s nuclear program, the president would not rule out using military force.
“President Trump is dead serious on this issue. He&#8217;s dead serious that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. He&#8217;s said that for 20 years. He&#8217;s been consistent. That is clear,” said Hegseth. “He&#8217;s dead serious that he wants it done at the negotiating table. He wants it done peacefully, and that&#8217;s why he&#8217;s going straight to these talks.”
The talks began on Saturday with delegations from the United States and Iran meeting in Oman. The teams were led respectively by U.S. Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“These were productive talks yesterday. I don&#8217;t want to get ahead of our skis — Steve Witkoff does a fantastic job — but it was a good step, and they&#8217;re going to go at it again on Saturday,” Hegseth said.
“But [Trump] is also dead serious that if we can&#8217;t figure this out at the negotiating table, then there are other options — to include my department — to ensure that Iran never has a nuclear bomb.”
“We hope we never get there … but what we&#8217;re doing with the Houthis and what we&#8217;re doing in the region, we&#8217;ve shown a capability to go far, to go deep, and to go big,” he continued. “And, again, we don&#8217;t want to do that, but if we have to, we will to prevent the nuclear bomb in Iran&#8217;s hands.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
.<a href="https://twitter.com/SecDef?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SecDef</a>: &quot;[<a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> is] dead serious that Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon &#8230; He&#39;s also dead serious that if we can&#39;t figure this out at the negotiating table, then there are other options.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/oVwUw16AcC">pic.twitter.com/oVwUw16AcC</a>
&mdash; Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) <a href="https://twitter.com/RapidResponse47/status/1911424740796825761?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Iranian state-owned media <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/iran-says-nuclear-talks-with-trump-team-were-constructive-agrees-to-meet-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Saturday that the two sides met in Oman “in a constructive atmosphere based on mutual respect.” The White House said in a statement that the delegations would meet again in a week.
“Special Envoy Witkoff underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations’ differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible,” the White House said in a statement. “These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy Witkoff’s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome. The sides agreed to meet again next Saturday.”
The talks come as Trump has leaned on Iran publicly to curb the violence of its terror proxies across the Middle East, including the Houthis in Yemen. The president warned that Iran would be “in great danger” if the talks failed.
Araghchi wrote an op-ed published in The Washington Post last week that said Iran wants to make a deal and that the regime has been in contact with the Trump administration for weeks. Araghchi also claimed that Iran had upheld the conditions under the 2015 nuclear deal negotiated under former President Barack Obama. Trump had been highly critical of the deal, calling it “one-sided.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency found in February that Iran had blown past the 3.67% enrichment level for uranium set in the nuclear deal. Iran’s uranium stockpile is enriched to around 60%. Weapons-grade uranium is 90%. Iran’s stockpile is also many times larger than the limits set in the deal: approximately 8,294 kilograms to the deal’s cap of 300 kilograms.

Peter Hegseth

Hegseth: Trump ‘Dead Serious’ About Stopping Iran From Getting A Nuclear Bomb

Pete Hegseth

United States

U.S. officials met with Iranian diplomats in Oman on Saturday in an effort to begin talks to reach a new nuclear deal, the Iranian state-owned news outlet IRIB reported.
IRIB reported that the U.S. and Iranian officials met “in a constructive atmosphere based on mutual respect,” according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/11/politics/us-iran-nuclear-talks/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. The talks were the first direct contact between a member of the Trump administration and the Iranian regime. Officials plan to meet again next week.
“After more than two and a half hours of indirect negotiations, the heads of the Iranian and American delegations spoke for a few minutes in the presence of the Omani foreign minister as they left the talks,” IRIB reported.
The White House confirmed the talks and meeting between Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
“Special Envoy Witkoff underscored to Dr. Araghchi that he had instructions from President Trump to resolve our two nations&#8217; differences through dialogue and diplomacy, if that is possible,” the White House said in a statement. “These issues are very complicated, and Special Envoy Witkoff&#8217;s direct communication today was a step forward in achieving a mutually beneficial outcome. The sides agreed to meet again next Saturday.”
The talks follow President Donald Trump’s repeated calls for a new nuclear deal and for Iran and its proxies, including the Houthis, to cease causing mayhem in the region.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-iran-will-be-in-great-danger-if-saturdays-nuclear-talks-fail?author=Kassy+Akiva&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=5&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Trump+Says+Iran+Will+Be+In+%E2%80%98Great+Danger%E2%80%99+If+Saturday%E2%80%99s+Nuclear+Talks+Fail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> the talks on Monday, warning that if they are not successful, Iran would be “in great danger.”
“I think if the talks aren’t successful with Iran, I think Iran is going to be in great danger.” Trump said. “It’s not a complicated formula. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon, that’s all there is.”
“I think everybody agrees that doing a deal will be preferable to doing the obvious, and obvious is not something I want to be involved with or frankly that Israel wants to be involved with if they can avoid it,” Trump added. “So we’re going to see if we can avoid it, but it’s getting to be very dangerous territory.”
On Thursday, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said that the talks will determine if Iran is serious about a deal.
“What happens on Saturday would, I suppose, determine whether there&#8217;s more,&#8221; Bruce said during a press conference. “Right now, this is a meeting that is arranged. It is not part of some larger scheme or framework. It is a meeting to determine whether or not the Iranians are serious.”
In a Washington Post op-ed earlier this week, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-wapo-op-ed-irans-foreign-minister-says-theyre-ready-to-make-a-deal-with-the-united-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> the Iranian regime is ready to make a deal with the United States. He wrote that the Iranian regime has been exchanging messages and letters with the Trump administration for weeks and that the communication represents “a genuine attempt to clarify positions and open a window toward diplomacy.”
Responding to Trump’s threat of taking military action if a deal cannot be made, Araghchi said that in order to move forward, there needs to be an agreement that there is no “military option” or “military solution.”
“The proud Iranian nation, whose strength my government relies on for real deterrence, will never accept coercion or imposition,” the foreign minister wrote.
Araghchi, acknowledging Trump’s strong opposition to Barack Obama’s 2015 Iran nuclear deal, made the claim that the Iranian regime has upheld the condition to not seek nuclear weapons.
A February <a href="https://www.securitycouncilreport.org/whatsinblue/2025/03/iran-non-proliferation-private-meeting.php#:~:text=In%20its%20most%20recent%20quarterly,significantly%20during%20the%20reporting%20period%2C" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the International Atomic Energy Agency found that Iran’s uranium stockpile is enriched to 60 percent purity — close to the 90 percent level considered weapons-grade and far above the 3.67 percent limit set by the Iran deal. The total enriched uranium stockpile now stands at approximately 8,294 kilograms, vastly exceeding the deal’s cap of 300 kilograms.
Trump <a href="https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-ending-united-states-participation-unacceptable-iran-deal/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">withdrew</a> from the deal during his first term in 2018, calling it “one of the worst and most one-sided transactions the United States has ever entered into.”
Kassy Akiva contributed to this report.

Iran Says Nuclear Talks With Trump Team Were ‘Constructive,’ Agrees To Meet Again

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