Erdogan breaks his silence, compares Netanyahu to Hitler, pledges military buildup.
With the Israel-Iran war continuing to escalate, some of my greatest concerns appear to be materializing in real time, namely the entrance of outside nation-states into the conflict.
The United States is poised to enter the war at any moment on behalf of Israel, as is the United Kingdom, both of which have moved air and naval assets into the region. Will Russia and China stand back and watch, or get involved themselves?
Another wild card is Turkey, a key member of the U.S.-led NATO alliance. Turkey controls key waterways in the Middle East and is supposely a U.S. ally but it’s also an Islamic nation with aspirations in the region. It will not be content to sit back and watch Israel become a global hegemon in its backyard.
On Wednesday, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan made it clear whose side he is on in the Israel-Iran war. And it’s not Israel. This is interesting given the fact that Turkey is in a military alliance with Israel’s partners in the West.
Erdogan announced on Wednesday that his country’s defense industry will become fully independent, producing its own warplanes, tanks, drones and frigates, all in an effort to build up a deterrent to Israel.
According to Middle East Eye, Erdogan said at a parliamentary group meeting for his AKP Party:
“We will further increase our domestic and national production rate, which we have raised from 20 percent to 80 percent. We will continue with patience, determination, perseverance, and firm steps until we achieve our goal of full independence in the defense industry.”
Turkey already has a very active defense industry and boasts the largest army in the region, so Erdogan seems to be sending a message to Israel and the world.
Addressing Israeli attacks on Iran and rising tensions in the region, Erdogan said Turkish officials were on high alert and preparing contingency plans for all possible risks.
He said:
“We will raise our deterrence to such a level that not only will no one attack us, but no one will even dare to think of it.”
He added that Turkey had recently completed a number of national defense projects, including air-defense systems, warships, cruise missiles, armed drones, and helicopters.
Erdogan described Israel’s assault on Iran as “state terrorism,” and he accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of disregarding international laws and rules.
He defended Iran’s response to Israel’s pre-emptive attack, which was launched seven days ago.
“It is completely natural, legitimate, and a legal right for Iran to defend itself in the face of Israel’s banditry,” he said, adding that the attacks were carried out while Iran’s nuclear negotiations were ongoing.
But it gets worse.
Erdogan reportedly compared Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Adolf Hitler in comments on Israel’s attacks on Iran, drawing a strong response and deepening the feud between the Turkish leader and Israel.
“Netanyahu has long surpassed the tyrant Hitler in the crime of genocide. We hope their fate will not be the same. Hopefully, sooner or later he will appear before an international independent court,” the Turkish leader said in a recent speech and on his account on X, formerly Twitter.
Erdoğan denounced Israel for “inhumane aggression” across the Middle East, telling the Emir of Qatar in a phone call Tuesday that Netanyahu has once again proven to be “the biggest threat to the region’s security,” according to Hurriyet Daily News.
After a cabinet meeting on Monday, Erdogan also announced that Ankara was accelerating its production plans to bring medium- and long-range missile stockpiles to a deterrent level.
Does this sound like the words of a U.S. and Western ally? You be the judge. What if Turkey throws in with Russia, China and North Korea in an effort to counter-balance the rise of Israel as a global superpower? World War III just got more interesting. And more dangerous.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Leo Hohmannhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngLeo Hohmann2025-06-20 15:18:012025-06-20 15:24:51Turkey is the wildcard in Middle East and its leader just told us whose side it’s going to be on in World War III
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00The Geller Reporthttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngThe Geller Report2025-06-20 11:45:382025-06-20 11:49:16Israeli Air Force SUCCESSFULLY Struck the Iranian Nuclear Reactor in Arak, Iran
I have repeatedly said that the mullahs ruling Iran are not Iranians. They truly despise Iran and its glorious past. They even hate its name. There were never any questions about the Islamists denigrating Iran and exalting Muhammad. These creatures owe their very livelihood to the lucrative business that Muhammad launched for their parasitic shameful existence. It is vital for these leeches to continue trumpeting the sainthood of the founder of their business and driving all the competition out of business.
Just recently, Sayyid Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami is a senior Iranian cleric, as well as a senior member of the Assembly of Experts, also, Tehran’s Friday prayer leader. He recently proved me right. Give this worm credit for paying homage to the source of his shameful livelihood.
How dare the people of Iran even think to have a revolution or a referendum!! This government belongs to Imam Zaman (The Lord of the Age) and if anyone considers himself an Iranian, he needs to get the hell out of here. This soil belongs to us, the followers of Imam Zaman and his tribe. Iran’s name was created by ignorant people and incidentally, this name is very provocative. This ignorant name (Iran) must be changed to something like “Velayat” lest it provoke our enemies (Iranian people).
The battle against these inhuman oppressors in Iran has been arduous and long. It the battle of the true sons and daughters of Iran and the rest of mankind. It remains our duty to work our hardest to remove these leeches from power.
We recognize that the dysfunctional Islamic software is deeply ingrained in the minds of many Muslims, who opt to remain in mental bondage rather than purge their minds of this software and join the rest of the human family with a new emancipating program for life: liberty.
Islamic clergy, the parasitic prime beneficiaries of Islam, are master practitioners of the carrot-and-stick strategy. By drawing heavily from the Quran and the Hadith, the conniving mullahs and imams have assembled a potent arsenal of threats and promises to keep the faithful in line. They had little trouble in so doing, since Islamic scripture is replete with descriptions of the graphic horrific punishment awaiting the wayward and the unbelievers, while the rewards for the obedient and docile, if they are male, are described as an endless variety of sensual pleasures. Anyone daring to leave the corral of Islam is apostate and automatically condemned to death. And that’s just for starters. The punishment awaiting the ungrateful deserter of the one and only true path, Islam, is horrific eternal torment in Allah’s hell.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, which holds in great contempt any non-Islamic belief or heritage, has embarked on destroying many pre-Islamic archeological sites in Iran, such as Pasargad and Persepolis — some of humanity’s most prized cultural heritage — on the pretext of building a dam. The heinous destruction of the two Bamiyan Buddha statues by Afghanistan’s Taliban pales in comparison to the present barbaric designs of the Islamic Republic. Pasargad and Persepolis are more than a mere collection of ancient structures. They are an embodiment of humanity’s historical respect for liberty and tolerance of diversity.
But the high clergy of Iran is not exactly living up to its brand. The mullah Mafia has a great scam going. They promise the ignorant Islamic devotees the phony “paradise” of afterlife while they themselves enjoy their paradise of women, wealth and wine on this earth. They are unrivaled in duplicity and heartlessness. So in nearly perfect emulation of Muhammad and his leadership 1400 years ago, the pious mullahs go about plotting earthly destruction as they enrich themselves and enjoy earthly pleasures on the backs of their people.
Many Iranians are praying that help is on its way, and that the ongoing protests now will not result in a repeat of 2009, when Obama threw a lifeline to the mullahs’ regime by not supporting the Iranian people, in effect siding with the genocidal mullahs. The turbaned thugs were taking their final breath, being completely broke, and the good old USA came to the rescue, releasing billions of dollars and easing other sanctions. I will never understand this.
My aspiration for my motherland is to see it freed from the evil that has been visited upon it ever since our people bought into a most depraved version of Islam. Whether people become Baha’is or Zoroastrians or Christians, this should be a free choice by each person. Even if a person insists on remaining Muslim, that is his or her prerogative. Yet imposing the suffocating intolerance of Islam on an entire nation is something that neither I nor any person who lives in Iran can accept. Our beloved Iran deserves to be a country where, once again, we take pride in being its children, instead of the present, when we often do all we can to conceal our nation of birth when visiting abroad.
Israel recently learned from its agents inside Iran — presumably native informants working with Mossad — that Iran’s nuclear scientists had successfully completed tests of their design of a nuclear weapon. This meant that Iran was potentially only weeks away from being able to produce such a weapon, and that intolerable threat had to be dealt with without delay. More on Israel’s discovery that prompted the attack, can be found here: “Israel found Iran carried out key tests for nuke design ahead of strikes — report,” Times of Israel, June 15, 2025:
Ahead of its strikes on Iran, Israel discovered that the Islamic Republic’s scientists had conducted successful experiments in the design process of a nuclear weapon, bringing it weeks away from being able to produce a bomb if it chose to do so, according to a Hebrew media report Sunday.
This “golden information” was presented by intelligence officials to the political leadership before the decision was made to carry out preemptive strikes Friday, along with the concern that Israel didn’t know everything and that Tehran could be at an even more advanced stage in building a nuclear bomb than the available information showed, Army Radio reported, citing unnamed security officials.
According to the report, Iran gathered scientists and split them into several working groups to labor in secret on components of the process of weaponizing nuclear material into an actual explosive device, beginning around the end of 2023 or the start of 2024 — shortly after Hamas’s October 7 onslaught, which sparked the ongoing war in Gaza.
This aspect of designing a nuclear device ran in parallel to Iran’s enrichment of uranium to levels that have no use for civilian purposes, but are required to build a nuclear bomb. According to an International Atomic Energy Agency report at the end of May, Iran’s stockpile of uranium, if enriched further, was enough to build nine nuclear weapons.
The Israel Defense Forces managed to monitor the secret weapons process, which left Jerusalem with no doubt that Iran had decided to build a nuclear weapon after the massacre in southern Israel, Army Radio said.
A senior Israeli military official said Saturday that “all the scientists eliminated in the opening strikes had, over the years, been involved in developing the nuclear detonation device.”
The IDF named nine Iranian nuclear scientists it assassinated in the opening strikes, and detailed its efforts to kill them.
They were named as: Fereydoon Abbasi, expert in nuclear engineering; Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, expert in physics; Akbar Motalebi Zadeh, expert in chemical engineering; Saeed Barji, expert in materials engineering; Amir Hassan Fakhahi, expert in physics; Abd al-Hamid Minoushehr, expert in reactor physics; Mansour Asgari, expert in physics; Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari Daryani, expert in nuclear engineering; and Ali Bakhouei Katirimi, expert in mechanics.
“All the scientists and experts who were eliminated were significant sources of knowledge in the Iranian nuclear project, and had decades of cumulative experience in the development of nuclear weapons,” the IDF said….
Think of the extraordinary level of planning by the IDF to know exactly where each of those nine scientists lived in Tehran, a city of 9.5 million people, and exactly, too, where each of them would be on a particular day at a particular time.
It likely will take not days, but weeks, to completely end Iran’s nuclear threat, and to destroy as well its vast arsenal of ballistic missiles and its ballistic missile factories. In order to sufficiently damage or destroy the uranium enrichment facilities built underground at Natanz, and those built inside a mountain at Fordow. These sites will have to be repeatedly hit so as to smash through their thick cement walls; should the Americans decide to provide Israel with their largest — 30,000 pound — bunker-buster bombs, and the bombers able to deliver them, this could hasten that destruction.
Meanwhile, Iranian physicists and engineers trained in nuclear physics are likely to be rethinking their career choices. Perhaps teaching high school science classes would be, in every respect, a better choice.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Jihad Watchhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngJihad Watch2025-06-19 05:08:542025-06-20 05:57:11Key Advance in Iran’s Nuclear Program Led Israel to Attack
One of the foremost tools in the president’s belt is his peerless platform to persuade — what President Teddy Roosevelt called “such a bully [that is, ‘superb’] pulpit.” Some presidents — Joe Biden, for example — never know how to fill the pulpit, often seeing themselves as victims of public opinion rather than shapers of it. But epoch-shaping presidents succeed in hammering out a vision that brings public opinion along with their agenda.
On Israel’s war with Iran, President Trump is striving to be the latter type — both in the U.S. and overseas. Recognizing that — except for committed partisans — neither the world nor the American public has settled into a hardened opinion of the conflict, Trump is working to shape that perception. A prudent smith knows to strike while the iron is hot.
On Monday, Trump made waves at the G7 summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, when he refused to sign onto a draft statement about the Israel-Iran conflict. The draft “called for both sides to protect civilians and for tight monitoring of Iran’s nuclear facilities,” according to The Telegraph. The other members of the G7 — Canada, the U.K., France, Germany, Italy, and Japan — all agreed to the statement. But Trump insisted that Iran not be allowed to perform any uranium enrichment.
Perhaps surprisingly, given Trump’s rocky history with international leaders, the American president got his way. In the final statement, the G7 leaders affirmed “that Israel has a right to defend itself” and that “Iran is the principal source of regional instability and terror.” The call for both sides to protect civilians was modified to “affirm[ing] the importance of the protection of civilians,” without insinuating a fault on Israel’s part. The statement was also “clear that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.”
Having bent the heads of the world’s economic powerhouses to his will, Trump jetted back to Washington, D.C. a day early, canceling meetings with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky, to monitor war developments from the Situation Room. “I have to be back,” he told reporters. “You probably see what I see, and I have to be back as soon as I can.” After all, the U.S. has numerous bases and troops in range of Iranian missiles.
But Trump did far more than monitor the situation. At 6:30 p.m., he posted on Truth Social, “Iran should have signed the ‘deal’ I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!”
Trump’s concluding sentence might seem at first like a non-sequitur. But the background for the statement came as Israel was warning Iranian civilians that it would strike “very significant targets, strategic targets, targets of the regime and infrastructure” in Tehran on Tuesday. In other words, it served to warn Iran that more severe Israeli airstrikes are yet to come.
The next morning, Trump added further commentary on his return to the White House. “Publicity seeking President Emmanuel Macron, of France, mistakenly said that I left the G7 Summit, in Canada, to go back to D.C. to work on a ‘cease fire’ between Israel and Iran,” he wrote. “Wrong! He has no idea why I am now on my way to Washington, but it certainly has nothing to do with a Cease Fire. Much bigger than that. Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong. Stay Tuned!”
How mysterious! Trump certainly knows how to build suspense. Jabs at Macron aside, the world must be wondering what Trump could be working on that is “much bigger” than a ceasefire.
Perhaps the best insight into Trump’s tease involves a look in the rearview mirror, specifically to the overlooked coincidences preceding Israel’s strike on Iran.
Last Thursday offered a curious confluence of events. First, in a motion brought by the U.S. and European allies, the IAEA board ruled that Iran was not in compliance with its treaty obligations to submit to oversight of its nuclear stockpiles, provoking a belligerent response from Iran. Second, Trump said Thursday marked the 60th day of negotiations with Iran on April 12; in March, he gave Iran an ultimatum to reach a nuclear deal in 60 days or face the consequences. Finally, that night, Israel attacked.
It would be a striking coincidence if all these events occurred independently of one another in 24 hours. In fact, it is far more likely that they did not. Recall that the Trump administration was behind the IAEA vote at its June meeting, and the Trump administration was behind both the 60-day ultimatum and the scheduling of each diplomatic meeting. As recently as May 28, Trump told reporters that he was warning Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. But Trump has shown nothing but support since Israel’s attack began Thursday night.
The close proximity of these swift changes raises questions: did the Trump administration plan it this way? Was Israel in on the plan beforehand, or did they simply take advantage of the moment?
Planned or not, Thursday’s events gave Israel the best possible diplomatic cover to attack Iran’s nuclear weapons program. Not only had Iran exceeded the White House’s 60-day deadline, but it also received its first-ever formal rebuke by U.N. nuclear inspectors — to which Iran responded with an angry snarl. How often can Israel legitimately claim that the U.N. is on its side about anything? The result is, Iran was exposed for the irresponsible rogue actor that it is; in fact, it irrevocably cast itself as the bad guy.
If the Trump administration did orchestrate the timing, then it prepared the world to look more favorably on Israel’s assault when it finally came.
Israel “clearly couldn’t wait any longer for their own good,” said Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). “Nobody is on the clock quite like Israel when it comes to the acquisition of nuclear weapons by Iran. So, I don’t blame them a bit for doing it. I’m grateful to see President Trump’s strong support for it.”
“I’m equally grateful,” Cramer continued, “to see that we haven’t risked any American lives in the effort.” This raises another aspect of the president’s calculation: that some elements of his “America First” base are resistant to drawing our nation into the war.
Thus far, the Trump administration has effectively argued that the U.S. has taken no part in strikes against Iran, although it has helped Israel shoot down incoming missiles. This — along with Iran’s preoccupation with more pressing issues — has spared American bases from any imminent attacks. In fact, Trump is playing “good cop” to Israel’s “bad cop,” offering to resume negotiations with the Iranian regime if it becomes willing to reach a deal.
But this phase in the relationship may not endure forever. The U.S. military is moving additional equipment closer to the region. Two dozen tanker planes relocated from North America to Europe this week, and the U.S.S. Nimitz carrier strike group is racing from the Pacific theater towards the Middle East. As President Trump shuffles pieces around the board, the most important question in chess looms in the forefront: what’s the next move?
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http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Family Research Councilhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngFamily Research Council2025-06-18 15:02:002025-06-18 15:06:29On Israel-Iran War, Trump Administration Finds Itself Playing Diplomatic Chess
Reza Pahlavi—the exiled Crown Prince of Iran—has released his most brazen appeal yet for regime change, urging millions to pour into the streets and finish off the theocracy that has ruled since 1979.
“Fellow compatriots, The Islamic Republic has come to an end and is about to fall. Khamenei, like a scared mouse under the ground, and has lost control of the situation. What has begun is irreversible.
“The future is bright and together we will overcome this sharp curve of history.
Declaring that Tehran’s “suppression mechanism is in a state of collapse,” Pahlavi insists the final blow must come from the streets:
“Only a mass uprising is necessary for this nightmare to come to an end forever.” Now is the time to stand up. Now is the time to reclaim.”
He summons every province to join the revolt:
“All together. From Bandar Abbas to Bandar Anzali, from Shiraz to Isfahan, from Tabriz to Zahedan, from Mashhad to Ahvaz, from Shahr-e-Kord (city) to Kermanshah, let’s make our presence known And end this regime.”
Anticipating fears of post-revolution chaos, the former prince—who left Iran in 1978 and now champions a secular democracy—offers a roadmap:
“Do not worry about the future after the fall of the Islamic Republic.
Iran will not become a place of civil war and instability.
We have plans for the future of Iran After the collapse.
We are ready for first the 100 day plan after the fall of the Islamic Republic, and the establishment of a national and democratic government for the people of Iran and in the hands of the people of Iran.”
Pahlavi pleads with soldiers, police, and bureaucrats to abandon the dying order:
“Do not try to preserve the corrupt and rotten regime that has begun its fall, and it is certain. Stand with the people and do not stand against the People of Iran. Do not sacrifice yourself for a rotten regime. By standing with the people, save your lives.”
He closes with a promise of renewal:
“Play a historical role in the building of Iran and contribute to the future of Iran. A free and prosperous Iran is ahead of us.”
With Iran’s economy in free-fall, protests simmering, and regional tensions at a breaking point, Pahlavi’s message lands like a match on dry tinder. Whether the call ignites a nationwide uprising or is smothered by the regime’s remaining loyalists will shape the destiny of 85 million Iranians.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Vlad Tepes Bloghttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngVlad Tepes Blog2025-06-18 14:44:542025-06-19 04:51:46VIDEO: The Rightful and Popular Leader of Iran Makes Plea for Persians to Hit the Streets and End the Mullah Regime
President Donald Trump clarified his demands for the end of the conflict between Israel and Iran.
“Two very simple words, unconditional surrender,” Trump told Jennifer Griffin of Fox News on Wednesday.
“I’ve had it, I give up,” Trump added, referring to Iran. “You know, the three for 40 years they’ve been saying death to America, death to Israel, that to anybody else that they didn’t like. They were bullies. They were schoolyard bullies.”
Trump clarified that “war is very complex” and that “I wouldn’t say that we won anything yet,” but that they “sure as hell made a lot of progress.”
Trump posted Tuesday on Truth Social, calling for “unconditional surrender.”
“We’re not looking for long-term war,” Trump addressed his base on Wednesday at the installation of the White House’s new flag pole. “I only want one thing: Iran can not have a nuclear weapon.”
Trump warned that Iran’s access to a nuclear weapon could result in them using it on the U.S. and other nations, adding that they “would be a terror all over the world.”
“All I’m doing is saying you cannot have a nuclear weapon, and I tried to do it nicely, and then on day 61, I said, ‘Let’s go’ because we can’t let that happen. And I’ve been saying it for 20 years,” Trump concluded.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00The Daily Callerhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngThe Daily Caller2025-06-18 12:41:402025-06-18 12:46:19‘Two Very Simple Words’: Trump Makes His Stance On Iran Unequivocally Clear
Many 2024 voters who supported President Donald Trump appear to line up with his support of Israel against Iran while calling for limits, according to polling data.
Two polls, released by Democracy Institute (DI) and Gray House respectively, asked Trump voters about direct U.S. military action against Iran. DI specifically asked the question “Should America Go to War, Including Deploying Ground Troops, Against Iran,” according to a screenshot obtained by the Daily Caller. The survey polled 2024 voters generally and provided specific percentages for working class 2024 voters and Trump 2024 voters.
Of the 1,150 Trump 2024 voters DI surveyed, 64% voted against use of ground forces while 26% voted in favor, meaning approximately 736 voted “no.” Fifty-three percent of all 2024 voters surveyed also opposed deploying ground troops while 60% of 2024 working class voters voiced opposition, the screenshot shows.
The poll was conducted from Saturday to Monday and carries an across the margin of error (MOE) of ±3%. The results fall within a 95% confidence interval. 1,500 total 2024 voters and 1,250 working class 2024 voters participated, according to the screenshot.
Sixty-seven percent of Trump 2024 voters strongly supported Israel’s attack on Iran while 16% somewhat supported it, according to a Gray House poll titled “Israel Iran Poll Results” that surveyed 450 people. On Israel’s Gaza military operations, 70% expressed strong support while 15% were somewhat supportive.
35% strongly supported direct American military intervention to stop Iran from developing nuclear weapons while 37% somewhat supported doing so. Notably, the question does not mention ground troops.
Fifty-seven percent considered Iran a “very serious threat” to U.S. nationals security while 74% said they were “very concerned” about Iran possibly developing a nuclear weapon.
Fifty-eight percent of those surveyed strongly supported providing Israel with offensive weapons while 68% of respondents expressed strong support for providing defensive ones. Respondents favored intelligence sharing even more, with 76% strongly supporting the U.S. helping Israel in this manner.
48% of respondents strongly supported the U.S. providing military support to help Israel defend itself against Iranian attacks. Gray House’s survey was conducted between Saturday and Sunday, with a margin of error of ±4.8%.
Israel attacked Iran on June 12, targeting the country’s nuclear program. They also killed multiple Iranian officials and nuclear scientists. Trump responded Friday — the same day Iran retaliated — by saying he gave the mullahs a 60-day deadline to reach an agreement and reiterating his call for negotiations. He has also repeatedly said Iran should not be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.
Talks over the 60-day period made little progress as Tehran insisted on maintaining civilian-grade uranium enrichment, something Trump has opposed. Trump said Sunday that the U.S. was not directly involved but acknowledged that future involvement was a possibility.
He has reportedly considered a strike on Iran and claimed Tuesday on Truth Social that “we know” the precise location of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
Trump left the Group of Seven Summit early Monday and ordered that the National Security Council come in for a high-level Situation Room meeting. This took place Tuesday.
Vice President JD Vance praised Trump for showing consistency and restraint and highlighted “crazy stuff” online in a Tuesday post amid criticism and calls for the president’s impeachment.
The White House is exploring the possibility of a meeting this week between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to move toward a nuclear deal and cessation of hostilities, four sources briefed on the matter told Axios.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00The Daily Callerhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngThe Daily Caller2025-06-18 06:22:092025-06-18 06:35:59Trump’s Posture On Israel-Iran War Appears To Reflect His Voters’ Views
Netanyahu said during an appearance on Fox News that Iran tried to assassinate Donald Trump twice, which is not far-fetched considering Iran’s reputation for using its proxies to kill. But yet again, some media are misrepresenting what Netanyahu stated, in order to accuse him of trying to “justify Israel’s recent waves of missile strikes in Iran,” which is nonsense. Israel has long stated its intent of stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, given Iran’s repeated threats to obliterate the Jewish state.
The Iranian government ordered an operative to assassinate Donald Trump before the 2024 election, Manhattan federal prosecutors said Friday, the latest in a string of assassination plots directed at the former and future president in recent months.
Prosecutors charged Farhad Shakeri with murder-for-hire and providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization. He is believed to be in Iran and remains at large, prosecutors said.
“Netanyahu reveals Iran marked Trump as ‘enemy number one’ with assassination plot,” by Taylor Penley, Fox News, June 15, 2025:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in his first interview since Israel launched its blistering attacks on Iran that the country’s Islamic regime had pinpointed President Donald Trump as a threat to its nuclear program and actively worked to assassinate him.
“They want to kill him. He’s enemy number one. He’s a decisive leader. He never took the path that others took to try to bargain with them in a way that is weak, giving them basically a pathway to enrich uranium, which means a pathway to the bomb, padding it with billions and billions of dollars,” the prime minister told Fox News’ Bret Baier during a special Sunday edition of “Special Report.”
“He took up this fake agreement and basically tore it up. He killed Qasem Soleimani. He made it very clear, including now, ‘You cannot have a nuclear weapon, which means you cannot enrich uranium.’ He’s been very forceful, so for them, he’s enemy number one.”
Netanyahu revealed he was also a target of the regime after a missile was fired into the bedroom window of his home. He went on to call himself Trump’s “junior partner” in threatening Iran’s ability to weaponize nuclear arms.
Netanyahu said his country was facing an “imminent threat” of nuclear destruction and was left with no choice but to act aggressively in the “12th hour.”
“We were facing an imminent threat, a dual existential threat,” he said.
“One, the threat of Iran rushing to weaponize their enriched uranium to make atomic bombs with a specific and declared intent to destroy us. Second, a rush to increase their ballistic missile arsenal to the capacity that they would have 3,600 weapons a year…. Within three years, 10,000 ballistic missiles, each one weighing a ton, coming in at mach 6, right into our cities, as you saw today… and then in 26 years, 20,000 [missiles]. No country can sustain that, and certainly not a country the size of Israel, so we had to act.”…
“Will Not Settle For a Bad Nuclear Deal With Iran…UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER.” — President Donald J. Trump
President trump has made it clear that U.S. policy is a nuclear Iran is not acceptable. Now is not the time to negotiate any deal with this brutal regime, and all sanctions must be fully enforced — no sanctions relief. The committee will work to ensure Iran’s full compliance with IAEA investigation into undeclared nuclear sites. Combat Threat of Iran Drones and Missiles. Iranian drones are fueling conflicts around the world, including attacks on U.S. servicemembers in the Middle East, Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine, and the conflict in Ethiopia.
Protect Americans.. The Trump administration will take significant action to deter Iranian a plots against Americans and Iran-backed proxy attacks on U.S. forces in the Middle East. Iran must immediately release American citizens being held hostages, and the administration must prioritize freeing these hostages as soon as possible.
‘No Kings’ protest fliers found in car of man suspected of shooting Minnesota lawmakers…
Fliers associated with Saturday’s nationwide protests of President Trump were found in the car of a man accused of killing Minnesota’s former House speaker and her husband and wounding two others. The Minnesota State Patrol warned residents to avoid “planned demonstrations” across the state Saturday, “out of an abundance of caution” as they hunt down the shooter. Police warned residents in the area not to open their doors for a cop impersonator as they hunt for the man they said is armed and dangerous. Rep. Melissa Hortman, the former speaker of the Minnesota House, and her husband, Mark, were killed, Gov. Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette, were shot multiple times in a separate attack by the same suspect and are undergoing surgery.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Conservative Commandos Radio Show and AUN-TVhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngConservative Commandos Radio Show and AUN-TV2025-06-18 04:45:222025-06-18 04:47:37PODCAST: Missiles, Assinations, Riots, Parades, Nukes, NO Kings but a Duly Elected President!
Trump confirms Iran asks for U.S. intervention to stop Israeli attacks
Absolutely not! Since 1979, Iran has maimed, murdered, and terrorized millions of Israelis, they openly vow to commit genocide against Israel, they fund death squads to murder Israelis on six continents, and they are funding anti-Israel protests across the world. Now that Israel is giving Iran a much deserved ass kicking, Iran’s leaders want the U.S to stop Israel from engaging in further military action. All so that Iran can engage in more fake nuke negotiations. Fuck that! Israel must not stop Operation Rising Lion until Iran’s nuclear program and ballistic missile arsenal are compleatly destroyed.
U.S. President Trump on Monday confirmed reports that Iran had reached out to the U.S. to stop Israel’s attacks – however, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flatly rejected any chance for negotiations at the moment.
On the fourth day of Israel’s war against the Iranian regime, Trump was asked by reporters whether Iran had indeed reached out through mediators with a request to stop the Israeli strikes.
“Yes… They’d like to talk. But they should have done that before. I had 60 days, and they had 60 days. On the 61st day, I said, We don’t have a deal,” Trump said.
As the world processes reports of Israeli airstrikes against the Iranian regime’s military and nuclear weapons program, Christians should think carefully about how to respond. On one hand, we lament the loss of human life that wars bring as we follow our Lord in affirming, “blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). On the other hand, we also learn from Jesus that “wars and rumors of wars” (Matthew 24:6) will characterize this fallen world until he returns.
Recognizing that there sometimes is “a time for war” (Ecclesiastes 3:8), Christian theologians since the fourth century have developed universal principles for Just War — that is, defining the conditions under which war is justified. “Just War Theory actually goes back to [the fourth-century theologian] Augustine… who kind of articulated some of these principles,” said David Closson, director of FRC’s Center for Biblical Worldview, “and it’s been expanded upon since then.”
In a March interview on “Washington Watch,” Closson outlined six principles of Just War Theory:
First, “There needs to be a just cause. You can’t just go to war for any reason. … This rules out a war of aggression from the start.”
Second, “There has to be right intention. A nation goes to war to end grave injustice or to restore peace. You can’t just go to war because you don’t like your enemy, you don’t like the nation next door. You can’t go simply because of vengeance.”
Third, “A just war needs to be waged by a legitimate authority. This would rule out individual actors or groups.”
Fourth, “War should be a last resort. … Christians should never be the people itching to go to war. You exhaust all options before you think about war.”
Fifth, “There would need to be proportionate objectives — all things considered, in terms of loss of life that might be lost or money that might be lost. … The things that you might lose in a war can outweigh what you’re trying to remedy.”
Sixth, “There needs to be a reasonable chance of success. I would point people to Luke chapter 14.” In describing the cost of discipleship, Jesus uses this metaphor, “Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace” (Luke 14:31-32).
These principles provide a framework for analyzing Israel’s airstrikes against the Iranian regime through a biblical worldview. Because Israel’s strike meets each criterion, these principles also provide six reasons why Israel’s strike against Iran was justified, reordered below:
Just Cause: Self-Defense against Annihilation
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi complained in a letter to the U.N. that Israel’s airstrikes “amount to a declaration of war against the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
But Israel’s war with Iran did not begin on Friday morning. Israel’s war with Iran began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas — supported by and subservient to Iran — launched a surprise attack against Israel, killing more than 1,200 people, injuring thousands, and capturing more than 200.
Immediately after Hamas’s October 7 attack, Israel was thrown into a multi-front war against Iran’s extensive network of terrorist proxies in Gaza (Hamas), Lebanon (Hezbollah), and Yemen (the Houthis), as well as smaller outfits fighting from Judea, Samaria, Syria, and Iraq. On October 1, 2024, Iran itself launched missiles at Israel in response to Israeli forces invading Hezbollah-controlled territory in Lebanon.
While not every front in the war sees constant fighting, they are not random or disconnected. The Iranian regime seeks Israel’s annihilation as a necessary implication of its Islamist ideology, and both Israel and Iran understand this genocidal intent. In recent years, Iran has grown steadily closer to obtaining the weapons it needs to turn its ambition into reality.
“For decades, the tyrants of Tehran have brazenly, openly called for Israel’s destruction,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said after the airstrikes. “They’ve backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop nuclear weapons.”
Nearly two years ago, Iran and its proxies attacked Israel, with the avowed purpose of destroying the nation. Israel has deftly beaten back the lesser attacks. But, unless the Israeli government wanted Iranian nukes to destroy its cities, it had to strike Iran itself.
Right Intention: Crippling Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program
This points to Israel’s intention to carry out the strikes. Israel’s purpose was not to seize territory, take revenge on enemies, or gain worldly glory. As Netanyahu explained it, Israel carried out “a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival” by destroying its nuclear weapons program.
Thus, Israel did not bomb cities, civilian infrastructure, or ports. They bombed nuclear enrichment facilities, nuclear scientists, and (to further ensure their safety) the generals who would likely mount a counterattack.
Proportionate Objectives: Strikes against Legitimate Military Targets
These actions also fulfill the Just War principle of proportionality. This principle does not envision a sort of eye-for-eye equality in strikes, as the Biden administration often conceived it. Rather, it envisions means that are proportional to the ends. Israel sought to protect itself from a nuclear Holocaust by crippling Iran’s nuclear weapon program (it would obviously like to escape a conventional missile barrage, too). Therefore, Israel struckelements of Iran’s nuclear weapons program, along with related defenses, and the generals who might oversee a retaliatory strike.
Reasonable Chance of Success: Israel Previously Devastated Iran’s Air Defenses
Israel had ample reason to believe its airstrikes would be successful because it carried out preliminary strikes only months earlier. On October 26, 2024 (weeks after Iran’s missile barrage against Israel), the Israeli air force put on a dominant performance in Iranian airspace, demolishing Iran’s anti-aircraft defenses, missile and drone production sites, and other targets. Israeli planes prowled the sky for hours, carrying out 140 sorties across Iran, then returning home with no casualties.
The effect of this previous strike is that it left Iran vulnerable to future air attacks, particularly against its nuclear weapons program (Israel did not attack Iran’s nuclear weapons program in October due to intense pressure from the Biden administration).
“Israel will be able to operate there freely because they don’t have an anti-aircraft shield,” explained Caroline Glick, now a senior advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “If we attack again, will be able to just hover over any city, basically, in Iran that we need to, in order to attack the targets that we need to take out — whether it’s oil infrastructure, whether it’s nuclear infrastructure, or regime targets.”
Legitimate Authority: Netanyahu Is the Legal Head of Israel’s Government
Speaking of Netanyahu, his position automatically fulfills this next principle of just war. The prime minister is the legitimate head of the Israeli government. He leads a coalition government that controls a majority of seats in the Israeli Parliament, the Knesset, which is popularly elected according to the Israeli constitution. This government, in turn, exercises authority over the Israeli military through the War Cabinet. Thus, the strikes were ordered by Israel’s legitimate authority.
This may seem obvious or overly simplistic, but it serves to highlight the contrast between Israel and most of its enemies. Iran’s terrorist proxies — Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis — are not legitimate authorities of nation states. They are terrorist militias that illegally seized territory by force. This is significant because, by definition, lawful authorities have a monopoly on the legitimate use of force, making all the attacks of these groups inherently illegal. And all these groups have taken their marching orders from the Iranian regime (which may be the legitimate ruler of its own territory, but not the territory of other nations).
Last Resort: All Diplomatic Efforts Failed to Dissuade Iran from Pursuing a Nuclear Weapon
Israel’s military strike on Iran’s uranium enrichment sites and other elements of its covert nuclear weapons came after all possible diplomatic efforts failed to dissuade Iran from pursuing a nuclear weapon. Even if they could not know precisely how much time was on the clock, Israel knew that time was running out, so they threw this buzzer-beater.
Iran has “taken steps that it has never taken before to weaponize” its rapidly growing stockpile of enriched uranium, said Netanyahu. “If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time — it could be a year, it could be within a few months. This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”
The issue came to a head on Thursday, when the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) officially ruled that Iran had not complied with its treaty requirements to submit to external oversight of its nuclear stockpiles. Such a ruling could reinstate severe U.N. sanctions against Iran. In response to this step — the diplomatic nuclear option, if you will — Iran furiously announced plans to accelerate its uranium enrichment by opening a new facility. It also threatened that, if sanctioned, it would withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In 55 years, the only country to withdraw from the NPT is North Korea, which did so when it developed its first nuclear weapons.
“Over the past several decades, Western powers have tried to avoid this eventuality through sanctions against Iran, endless diplomacy, Barack Obama’s disastrous nuclear deal, and the ‘maximum pressure’ campaign of Trump’s first term,” wrote the National Review editors. “Multiple acts of sabotage and other covert activities by Israel set back Iran’s program at various points. But ultimately, Iran would not give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons, and Israelis had no choice but to act.”
This is, perhaps, the most debated point. State Department spokesman Ned Price called Israel’s attack “premature” because “diplomacy had not run its course.” But American diplomatic efforts have also not changed Iran’s position, which is that it has the right to enrich as much uranium as it wants, to levels far beyond what is necessary for civilian nuclear purposes.
On Thursday, Trump wrote that he had given “Iran chance after chance to make a deal,” and he warned the regime to strike a deal now or else there would be “much more to come” from Israel.
Conclusion
The fact that war is an unavoidable feature of our fallen world does not mean Christians should be fond of it. Even just wars, as outlined above, are permissible only under narrow conditions, as a last resort, by the proper authority.
By contrast, Christians are entrusted with “the ministry of reconciliation,” writes Paul, “that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).
Christians should act and pray for peace, “because God can do what man cannot,” said FRC President Tony Perkins. “He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire” (Psalm 46:9). Sometimes, God even destroys not-yet-made nuclear missiles by means of other weapons.
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The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Family Research Councilhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngFamily Research Council2025-06-16 12:47:522025-06-16 15:02:386 Reasons Why Israel’s Strike against Iran Was Justified
Last month, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei told an enraged crowd of Islamists that President Trump’s statements weren’t even “worthy of a response.”
As the crowd chanted “Death to America”, Iran’s leader called Trump a liar, and warned that, “America should leave the region, and leave it will.” Then he called for the destruction of the Jewish State while the crowd chanted, “Death to Israel.”
The only question was whether America and Israel would take the regime’s threats seriously.
That question was answered when Israel, after two decades of trying to get the mostly fictitious “international community” to do something about Iran’s nuclear program, finally took action.
The endless negotiations in pursuit of an impossible deal that would somehow allow Iran to have nuclear technology without nuclear weapons were based on refusing to listen to what the Islamist terror regime said, as recently as weeks ago, and refusing to believe that it meant it.
To believe in a nuclear deal, you also had to believe that a terror state that gets its electricity from its abundant natural gas resources for a fraction of the cost of our electricity wanted a civilian nuclear program. To believe in any kind of deal with Iran, you had to believe, as the New York Times insisted to sell Obama’s nuke deal, that Iran “has a complicated relationship with the phrase” and that when it says, “Death to America” and “Death to Israel”, it doesn’t really mean it.
“The situation between America and Iran is this: When you chant ‘Death to America!’ it is not just a slogan – it is a policy,” Ayatollah Khamenei explained in 2023.
What did that policy look like in practice?
“‘Death to America’ means death to Trump,” Khamenei previously warned.
Last year, an Iranian operative was charged in a plot by the IRGC, Iran’s terror arm, to assassinate Trump before Election Day. The “complicated relationship” wasn’t so complicated and it’s not a metaphor. “Death to Trump” literally meant trying to kill the president. “Death to America” means the destruction of America. And “Death to Israel” means just what it says.
Apologists for the Jihadist regime in Tehran try to pretend that it’s about our foreign policy, but beyond chanting for the destruction of America, Israel and England, the chants at the Khamenei speech included “Death to the hypocrites and infidels” (meaning the deaths of all non-Muslims and insufficiently devout Muslims) and death to those who oppose the supreme power of Sharia Islamic jurisprudence in the form of its Ayatollahs, Mullahs and other theocratic tyrants.
According to Ayatollah Khomeini anyone who did not believe that Mohammed, Islam’s genocidal warlord prophet was a messenger of Allah, is defined as an infidel, and the only thing to do is to convert him, enslave him or kill him. “If one permits an infidel to continue in his role as a corrupter of the earth, the infidel’s moral suffering will be all the worse. If one kills the infidel, and this stops him from perpetrating his misdeeds, his death will be a blessing to him.”
Opposing the Ayatollahs just made America one of the first ‘infidels’ in line for destruction.
Not as a metaphor or a complicated relationship, but as violently graphic as the Muslim terrorists jumping up and down on the body of Navy diver Robert Stethem and then putting up a microphone to his face to broadcast the screams or removing the skin from the face of Colonel William R. Higgins before castrating, killing him and dumping his body near a mosque.
That’s ‘Death to America’.
The Israelis, who live much closer to Iran than we do, did not decide to escape into the extended Carter administration diplomatic dreamworlds about a deal with Iran. They understood that Iran was serious and they acted. Whatever we do or don’t do about Iran, we would be fools to pretend that the Islamic terrorist regime isn’t serious about wanting us dead.
And bigger fools to act like we can bribe or negotiate our way out of the threat.
Right now, Israel is doing our work for us in fighting Islamic terrorists. It’s doing it even though our elected officials keep sending mixed messages, undermining Israel, calling for restraint and pretending that the Middle East would be more stable if it were dominated by the terrorists.
Obama already tried that with the Arab Spring. It turned out the same way Carter’s Iran tampering and every experiment in nation building and democracy by the Bushes, Clinton and other administrations did. Instead of standing up to Muslim terrorists, we let ourselves be intimidated by them, by their sheer numbers, by their destructiveness and willingness to die.
But Israel, far smaller than us, a country tiny enough that you can walk its width, stood up to an entire region. Iran is 80 times Israel’s size, has 9 times its population and yet Israel did what so many of our administrations feared to do. Why? Because Israel understood what we deny.
Israel knew that the calls for genocide are real and that the alternative to action is death.
Faced with the threat of death, Israel instead brought death to the IRGC leaders of Iran’s death machine, to its commanders and struck at the machinery of its ballistic missile and nuclear program meant to kill millions. Its secret wasn’t just its brilliant strategy, but its grip on reality.
Israel took Iran seriously and acted seriously. It faced down death threats and delivered death to the terrorist enemies of civilization. That is what serious nations do. Unserious ones play word games and take refuge in wishful thinking. As we confront not only Iran, but Islamic terrorists around the world and in our own country, it’s time we get serious too.
If our enemies want to kill us, we have a choice between killing them or letting them kill us.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Jihad Watchhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngJihad Watch2025-06-16 05:39:162025-06-16 05:43:41Israel took ‘Death to Israel’ seriously. We should take ‘Death to America’ seriously.
In the early hours of Friday morning local time, Israel launched a series of deadly “preemptive strikes” against Iran, targeting military leaders and the nuclear refinement sites at the center of unfinished negotiations between Iran and the U.S.
Reports began circulating Thursday night (U.S. time) of explosions in Iran’s capital city of Tehran, with video footage depicting smoke in the air and fires in the distance. Israel’s defense ministry confirmed shortly afterwards that it was conducting a series of preemptive strikes against Iran, following reports that the country’s nuclear refinement facilities could possibly produce enough enriched uranium to develop nearly a dozen nuclear warheads.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed that Israel had attacked Iran in a move he dubbed “Operation Rising Lion.” He explained that the airstrikes were part of “a targeted military operation to roll back the Iranian threat to Israel’s very survival.” Netanyahu continued, “This operation will continue for as many days as it takes to remove this threat. For decades, the tyrants of Tehran have brazenly, openly called for Israel’s destruction. They’ve backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a program to develop nuclear weapons.” He posited that Iran has “taken steps that it has never taken before to weaponize” the enriched uranium Iran is suspected to have amassed. “If not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time — it could be a year, it could be within a few months,” the prime minister added. He declared, “This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”
Iran’s state-run media outlet, the Islamic Republic News Agency, reported that Israeli strikes had succeeded in killing the head of Iran’s armed forces, Major General Hossein Salami, along with several other military commanders and at least two civilians employed as nuclear scientists. Israel Defense Forces (IDF) later confirmed that Salami and two other high-ranking Iranian military leaders were “all eliminated in the Israeli strikes across Iran by more than 200 fighter jets.” Immediately after the “preemptive strikes,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz reportedly declared a state of emergency in Israel, in anticipation of retaliation from Iran. IDF spokesperson Brigadier General Effie Defrin confirmed in a video statement that Israel was targeting Iran’s nuclear development sites.
After withdrawing most U.S. forces and civilians from the area prior to the attack, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio issued a statement asserting that the U.S. was not party to the strikes against Iran and warning the regime not to erroneously retaliate against American forces or installations. “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action is necessary for its self-defense,” Rubio wrote. He added, “President Trump and the Administration have taken all necessary steps to protect our forces and remain in close contact with our regional partners. Let me be clear: Iran should not target U.S. interests or personnel.”
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-N.D.) largely echoed Rubio’s statements in his own press release. “Today, Israel has determined that it must take decisive action to defend the Israeli people. The United States Senate stands ready to work with President Trump and with our allies in Israel to restore peace in the region and, first and foremost, to defend the American people from Iranian aggression, especially our troops and civilians serving overseas,” Thune wrote. He added, “Iran should heavily consider the consequences before considering any action against Americans in the region.”
State Department spokesman Ned Price told CNN that Israel’s attack was “premature” since “diplomacy had not run its course. There was a window in which the administration had to potentially find a way to a diplomatic off-ramp here.” Price reported that talks with Iran were potentially scheduled to continue into September, at which point the matter would be passed to the United Nations Security Council if the U.S. had not reached a satisfactory agreement with Iran. “That window was not closing today. That window would not close tomorrow. But by undertaking this operation today, Prime Minister Netanyahu has very solidly shut that window,” Price said.
U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff cautioned Republican leaders prior to Israel’s strike that retaliation by Iran could result in a mass casualty event, according to an Axios report. He pointed out that even without nuclear weapons, Iran’s ballistic missile arsenal is “as big of an existential threat” to Israel as the nation’s nuclear potential and may be able to overwhelm Israel’s air defenses.
As The Washington Stand previously noted, the U.S. has been engaged for several months now in negotiations with Iran surrounding the Middle Eastern regime’s capacity to produce nuclear weapons, with the next set of talks scheduled for Sunday. President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Israel not to attack Iran before the U.S. concludes its negotiations. As recently as Thursday, Trump asked Israel not to strike Iran, saying during a press conference, “I’d much prefer an agreement. As long as I think there is an agreement, I don’t want [Israel] going in… I’d much prefer the friendly route.”
Following the strikes, however, the president posted on Truth Social, “I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done.” He said that he had warned Iran that an attack by Israel “would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come — And they know how to use it.”
“Certain Iranian hardliner’s [sic] spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse!” Trump continued. He warned Iran that an agreement with the U.S. would be in the country’s best interest. “There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire,” he wrote. Trump added, “No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.”
According to an Israeli official cited by The Spectator Index, Israel’s campaign against Iran will last at least two weeks.
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The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.
http://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.png00Family Research Councilhttp://drrich.wpengine.com/wp-content/uploads/logo_264x69.pngFamily Research Council2025-06-16 04:59:362025-06-16 05:05:22Israel Launches Airstrikes against Iranian Nuclear Sites, Military Targets
Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Saturday that ‘Tehran will burn’ if Iran continues launching missile attacks against Israel, according to reports.
An assessment meeting was held with high-ranking Israeli military officials Saturday where Katz expressed concern for attacks directed at Israeli citizens from Iran.
The Iranian dictator is turning Iranian citizens into hostages and creating a reality in which they, especially the residents of Tehran, will pay a heavy price for the criminal attack on Israeli civilians,” Katz reportedly said during the meeting with senior military officials, according to a Saturday post on X.
Nuclear Threat on Iran? Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has warned Iranian leader Ali Khamenei that if missiles continue to hit Israel, “Tehran will burn.”
“The Iranian dictator is turning Iranian citizens into hostages and creating a reality in which they, especially the… pic.twitter.com/K1ZXJzaw5x
— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) June 14, 2025
After the meeting, Katz, while talking with the Israeli army’s chief of staff, warned that “If (Iranian Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali) Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front — Tehran will burn,” according to Politico.
This comes after Iran conducted a counterattack against Israel Friday in which dozens of missiles were launched toward Israel, and explosions were heard above numerous cities.
The Iranian missiles killed at least three people and wounded around 70, mostly in and around the area of Tel Aviv, the outlet reported. Seven soldiers were also wounded when a missile hit central Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that his administration’s goal is to prevent Israel’s destruction and stop Iran from developing the weapons to do so.
Bibi makes 3 salient points
1) the Israeli campaign is going to intensify significantly
2) the actions will “set back Iran by years” NOTE: he doesn’t say permanently
3) that they are going to destroy all ballistic missile production capabilities. https://t.co/nUYq2PWRqnpic.twitter.com/eBCitTwEkX
“Our goal is to thwart a double threat from Iran to destroy the state of Israel,” Netanyahu said.
“We cannot afford for them to be able to build production capabilities for 20,000 missiles, so we have taken action to destroy their production capabilities, and that is what the IDF is doing now.
