Kharg Island - Iran's Economic Lifeline

 Following the U.S. bombing of Iran’s three most fortified nuclear sites, the Iranian government swore revenge. The Iranian parliament voted to close the Strait of Hormuz.

However, this is more symbolic than real, given both that elected Iranian bodies have no power over security policy and that the Islamic Republic relies on the Strait of Hormuz both to export its oil and import much of its refined gasoline.

Still, the United States and its allies should counter any move to interfere with freedom of navigation and commerce across a major waterway, especially one in which its Arab allies depend for their commerce.

The U.S. response should be overwhelming. First, it should seize Kharg Island. Most tankers cannot safely get into Iranian ports because the Persian Gulf is so shallow, and the Iranian side is very rocky.

As a result, they load their supply from offshore terminals, the largest of which is the Kharg oil terminal on Kharg Island, 16 miles off the Iranian coast. Iran exports approximately 90 percent of its crude oil through Kharg.

However, bombing Kharg will be counterproductive because if Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei falls and the Islamic Republic collapses, Iran could become a Western ally again; its new government will need Kharg to fuel Iran’s reconstruction and bring revenue to support the new government.

Occupying Kharg would strain the Islamic Republic financially, but preserve the infrastructure.

Strike the Navy

Continued Iranian aggression also merits a response against Iran’s two navies: the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy patrols the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy speedboats regularly harass shipping. It is now time to sink the speedboats and the piers upon which the Revolutionary Guards depend for their vessels and the smuggling upon which the organization depends far more than its official budget.

The regular Iranian navy projects power far beyond the range of its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps counterparts. Its submarines now ply the northern Indian Ocean, and its vessels, both official naval ships and cargo vessels operating on its behalf, support the Houthis.

The United States should issue an ultimatum: Either ships dock at key Indian Ocean ports and surrender to local authorities, or the United States will sink them.

Iranians should not complain; after all, they once launched Operation Morvarid, a 1980 operation in which Iranian forces largely sank Iraq’s navy, an event that for Iraq was equivalent to the 1941 Japanese strike on Pearl Harbor.

Limit the Damage The United States must take care to limit damage to Iran itself for two reasons: First, the Iranian people are not an enemy, and second, the less damage Iran suffers, the easier it will be for the country to recover once Iranians throw off Khamenei and his fellow clerics.

Occupying Kharg, an isolated island of less than eight square miles, and targeting the Islamic Republic’s two navies would fulfill the objective of preventing any meaningful damage to Iranian territory while ensuring freedom of navigation.

If Khamenei challenges Trump to continue, Trump must deftly call his bluff.

A Bit of Iranian History

 On January 3, 2021, The Iranian parliament announced a bill to eliminate Israel by 2041

A draft of a bill was published in which the parliament determined that the regime is obligated to act to destroy Israel within 20 years (following Khamenei's declaration 5 years prior. A countdown clock was placed in Tehran).

The declaration is under the section "Revenge for the assassination of Qassem Soleimani" alongside a statement that one percent of all Iranian exports to Iraq will be used as a budgetary source for revenge that will also work to remove American forces from the region.

An Iranian opposition channel mocked the declaration, noting that Israel's relations with countries in the region are expanding every day while Iran's isolation is increasing. This is in addition to the fact that, according to the channel, Israel has attacked targets of the Iranian Quds Force in Syria over 500 times in years prior without any significant Iranian response or retaliation.

Gaza Today

The above map show the areas (in yellow) now controlled by the IDF.

In the last 7-10 days the area  around Khan Yunis in the South and 

Jabaliya area in the northern Gaza Strip is coming under increasing control of the IDF

 

IDF Struck a Surface-To-Surface Missile Production Site 2,000 Kilometers Away

 Saturday 21.06.25

 (Saturday), IAF fighter jets, guided by precise intelligence from the Intelligence Directorate, struck a surface-to-surface missile engine production site of the IRGC in the Shahroud area of Iran, approximately 2,000 km from Israeli territory, the furthest reach of Israeli aircraft.

The site was struck for its planetary mixers and critical machinery used in the production of engines for missiles launched by the Iranian regime toward the State of Israel.

The site that was struck is part of the effort to damage the Iranian regime’s surface-to-surface missile production industry, which was intended to manufacture thousands of missiles in the coming years.

This is just part of the on going process to hit all Iranian assets involved in the manufacture of the various missiles developed by Iran.

Less Rockets, Restrictions Lifted

A graph by Aryeh Eisenman showing the quantities of Iranian missiles launched in each barrage, over time.  The elimination of the launchers is clearly achieving results.

This can certainly explain the decision on the easing of restrictions in our area approved 
by the Home Front Command starting at 18:00 today.

Small businesses can start operating (my wife can have her nails done!!), similarly cafes and restaurants.

The Iranian missile threat is steadily decreasing as time progresses. We have had two consecutive nights of sleep without alarms.

 

Gazans Claim Yet Another "Massacre"

The Gazans claim: “A new massacre among those waiting to receive aid packages.”

It seems the Gazans are trying to get some attention back, after “all eyes” are currently on Tehran… 

The Gazan Ministry of Health claims there are 45 dead and hundreds wounded as a result of gunfire directed at Gazans who were waiting for aid near “Al-Takhliya Junction” in Khan Yunis, in the southern part of the Strip.

The Gazan channels are endlessly “pumping up” the event, but it’s clear that there’s an “organized show” going on here. Videos from the entrance to Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis  show there is a lot of noise, a lot of shouting, a lot of extras putting on a performance – but there are hardly any casualties…

They even bothered to bring in, as an extra, our acquaintance from previous videos, the TikTok star Awad Barbach – who shouts a bit at the hospital entrance.

Gaza is not the main event anymore, they want their stories back in the headlines...

Iran's Cryptocurrency reserves collapse

 Iran is resorting to the use of cryptrocurrency in order to bypass the sanctions imposed by the West.

It is now reported that 95% of the assets of the Iranian crypto exchange Nobitex vanished due to a breach by a hacker group called “The Predatory Freedom,” which is identified with Israel. 

According to an Israeli military correspondent, the Nobitex exchange is linked to Iranian efforts to circumvent the sanctions imposed on Iran by using cryptocurrencies.

As of today, according to foreign sources, the amount of digital currency in wallets connected to this exchange dropped from $1.8 billion to just $100 million.

CNN Just Can't Print an Honest Report

For full report see https://honestreporting.com/cnn-exploits-arab-israeli-familys-death-to-push-narrative-of-bomb-shelter-discrimination-against-palestinians/

In the early hours of Sunday morning, a missile launched by Iran struck the northern Israeli town of Tamra, near Haifa, killing four women from the same Arab Israeli family.

But CNN wasn’t content to report the tragedy with facts. Instead, it used the Khatib family’s death to push an ugly and misleading narrative: that Israel is running a system of bomb shelter “inequality” between Israelis and “Palestinian citizens of Israel.”

In a report titled “Iranian strikes expose bomb shelter shortage for Palestinian towns inside Israel,” published after Chief International Correspondent Clarissa Ward’s visit to Tamra, CNN describes the town as “somber, compounded by anger over a lack of adequate bomb shelters—an issue that Palestinian citizens of Israel have long warned was a glaring inequality.”

They cite the town’s mayor, who claims just 40% of Tamra’s 37,000 residents have access to a safe room or shelter. CNN offers no evidence that the Khatib family lacked a shelter. In fact, other international outlets—including The Guardian—have reported that the family had two safe rooms, one on each floor of their home. Yet CNN builds an entire narrative on the unverified assumption that they did not.

Instead of establishing facts, the report relies on implication and generalization—using one family’s tragedy to frame a broader accusation of systemic discrimination.

But here’s what CNN doesn’t tell its audience:

·        Over half of all Israeli homes—Jewish, Muslim, or Christian—lack access to a safe room. According to the Israel Builders Association, as of late 2024, roughly 1.67 million of Israel’s 3 million residential units still have no reinforced shelter.

·        Many Israeli cities—including Bat Yam, Tel Aviv, and Rishon LeZion—have huge populations living in older buildings without safe rooms. Bat Yam, where two children were killed by Iranian missiles, has long been flagged for its vulnerability.

·        In 1992, Israel amended its Civil Defense Law to focus on private shelters, aiming to allow people quicker access within their homes instead of forcing them to run through streets. But the effort has been uneven. Israel’s aging population—over 1.2 million people above age 70—still faces serious risks. These are not comfortable statistics. But they are the reality for millions of Israelis—Jewish and Arab alike.

So when CNN isolates Arab towns like Tamra from this broader national picture, it doesn’t shed light on inequality—it distorts it. The result is a politicized narrative built on omission and insinuation.

To wield the unspeakable loss of one family as a political cudgel, as CNN has done, is not only dishonest—it’s disgraceful.

What Israel has Achieved in Iran

 

Wake Up World- It's Coming to You!

 They say what they mean. When is the world going to wake up?

Flotilla Boat Towed to Israel, Activists to be Deported

 

This photo follows an interception of the "Aid" boat.

Greta Thurnberg receiving a bottle of water and a sandwich
from Israeli soldiers.

Before the crew were taken to the airport, no arrests
or handcuffs, they were shown a 40 minute video
of the events of October 7th. If that did not change t
heir minds of the importance of supporting
the "Palestinian Cause" (as opposed to the Gazan people)
nothing will.

What Do You Know About the Haredi Draft?

 For full report see https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/israel-middle-east/articles/israel-two-big-lies

Looking at the most explosive political issue threatening to derail the Israeli government mid-war: namely, the conscription of roughly 63,000 young Haredi men to the Israel Defense Forces. One would hardly know, listening to the hyperventilation in the Israeli media, that there are already 6,000 Haredi men serving in the army, that hundreds of them are combat soldiers, and that they volunteer in such solid and consistent numbers that the IDF saw fit, in 1999, to establish an independent battalion just for Haredi soldiers, called Netzah Yehuda.

How come Haredis don’t serve in the army? Why those Haredis who showed up rejected.

Haim Ramon, a longtime Labor Party politician who served as a minister in Yitzhak Rabin’s cabinet happened to browse a document released by the Knesset’s research and information center that provided statistics about various population groups and their representation in the IDF. One stat in particular left Ramon feeling confused: Since Oct. 7, the Knesset revealed, 4,000 young Haredi men showed up of their own volition and asked to volunteer to fight, an initiative that would’ve doubled the number of Haredi soldiers overnight and proven a potential way out of the political impasse.

Almost immediately, the IDF deemed 3,120 of these men unfitting to serve, mostly for being too physically weak to fight. Which, if you know anything about the IDF, is a shocking revelation. A non-Haredi Israeli would have to suffer from a truly debilitating health condition to be found unfit for service; otherwise, 18-year-olds struggling with all manner of maladies—asthma, say, or a bad back or a minor heart condition, even with Downs syndrome—are happily recruited and assigned to support positions that do not require strenuous physical exertion. You can find these excellent and motivated men and women serving as intelligence officers or riflery instructors, drivers or parachute packers, performing services the army absolutely needs. And you’d think that with the national interest allegedly being the swift swelling of the IDF’s ranks, the army would’ve made an effort to accommodate these enthusiastic young Haredis in its ranks.

Instead, not only were they rejected, but also, of the 880 volunteers who were found fit, only 540, or 61 percent, were recruited. In total, then, of the throngs of proud and patriotic black-hatted Israelis who, when it mattered most, wished to join their brothers and sisters in fighting, the army accepted a mere 13.5 percent.

This heartbreaking account provides us with two urgent insights.

First, the entire debate about Haredis in the army is predicated on a bright, shiny untruth. The army doesn’t need Haredi recruits to meet its goals. If it did, it would’ve welcomed every one, or at least the ones physically fit to fight. The army further understands that fully integrating Haredim into its ranks would require a wide array of logistical challenges—providing strictly kosher food, for example, or addressing concerns rising from coed military service—it currently cannot and does not want to address.

Second, while liberal Israeli politicians are quick to refer to Haredis in derogatory terms like shirkers and parasites, the Haredi community has just shown that it is more committed than ever to seeing itself as part of Israel’s national narrative. If you’re looking for a bit of perspective there, a 2023 report from the State Comptroller’s office revealed that, in 2021, a whopping 32 percent of young military-age Tel Avivis chose not to join the IDF, a fact that generated precisely zero national outcry.

Put bluntly, anyone who is asking why Haredis don’t serve in the army should first ask why the army widely rejected those Haredis who showed up.

There is NO Shortage of Food in Gaza

 Thousands of tons of food is being delivered to Gaza.

Where is it all going?

Why is Hamas so confident that it’s winning?

 For full article go to https://www.jns.org/why-is-hamas-so-confident-that-its-winning/ 

Khaled Mashaal, the head of Hamas’s “political wing,” in his luxurious living quarters in Doha, Qatar, thinks the war has gone just fine. He thinks that Hamas is “winning the war” and is confident that the genocidal Islamist organization will, despite the battering it has received from the Israel Defense Forces, play a “decisive” role in Gaza in the future.

It takes an extraordinary amount of chutzpah to sit in a comfortable place of exile where you are protected by Qatar—an ally of Iran and Hamas—while the Gulf State also pretends to be friendly with the United States. It’s odd for a “political” leader to be so blithe about a conflict that has, despite the inflated statistics of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip produced by Hamas, certainly inflicted tremendous harm on his own people. By hiding from the IDF in a warren of tunnels the size of the New York subway system underneath civilian homes, they set in motion a confrontation that guaranteed that much of the Strip would be destroyed. And Hamas itself has been severely hurt. Reportedly, 20,000 operatives have been killed, and all of its organized military formations are no longer combat-effective. The same is true of its ability to send long-range missiles into Israel.

Survival equals a Hamas victory

By any normal definition of victory or defeat, in the aftermath of its orgy of mass murder, rape, torture, kidnappings and wanton destruction in Israel on Oct. 7, Hamas hasn’t been beaten.

While most of us have understandably focused on the fighting in Gaza as well as the way Hezbollah terrorists have been able to essentially de-populate a portion of northern Israel with its indiscriminate fire on civilians, one of the key fronts in this war is not in the Middle East. It’s in the United States.

Hamas have been doing nothing but playing for time. And they expected that the time they needed to outlast the Israeli offensive would be provided to them by Israel’s closest ally.

Combined with the post-Oct. 7 surge in antisemitism made obvious by the pro-Hamas encampments at elite universities, it gave Hamas every reason not to negotiate seriously for a hostage release deal. Hamas viewed all of this as encouragement for its plan to simply hunker down in its remaining tunnel strongholds, and hold out until U.S. and international pressure—heightened by the anti-Israel bias of the mainstream media—forced Israel to stand down and allow the Islamists to emerge as the victor in the war.

Demoralizing the Israelis

While Israelis have every right to protest against their government even in wartime, Hamas also views the unrest inside the Jewish state as an asset. The families of the remaining hostages and Netanyahu’s political opposition now seek to pressure him to give up the war and sign a ceasefire agreement, even if it means essentially handing Gaza back to Hamas and ensuring a repeat of the horrors of Oct. 7. I understand why some feel that way for a number of different reasons, but the fact remains that Hamas is counting on that sentiment.

But above all, Hamas views American pressure on Israel as its ace in the hole.

The reality of Palestinian politics

If left to carry out its tasks without foreign interference, the IDF will eventually eliminate Hamas, though that task will not be accomplished easily or quickly. It can certainly prevent it from returning to power in Gaza, thus ensuring that its reign of terror over Israel as well as Palestinians is over. The terrorist group are counting on feckless American politicians, ideologically motivated leftist demonstrators and political activists, a media that is always prepared to demonize Israeli efforts at self-defense, as well as war-weariness and anguish about the hostages inside Israel to guarantee their survival. We may hope that they are wrong about that, but it’s easy to understand why the terrorist leader is confident that he can outlast the Israelis … with American help.

UK Openly Finances Hamas & Closes Its Eyes

 NGO Monitor researchers uncovered a UK-funded cash aid program

in Gaza that was distributed “in coordination” with a

Hamas-controlled ministry — a fact British officials

were fully aware of. The revelation has triggered a wave of

media coverage and public debate, raising urgent questions

about aid oversight, accountability, and the risks of indirect support

for designated terrorist organizations.

Breakthrough with Laser Technology

 Amongst many new technologies that have been proven in this war (but not yet officially reported), the laser based system has been very successful.

Israel’s Defense Ministry, in collaboration with the Israel Air Force and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, revealed this week, that laser-based interception systems were successfully used in combat for the first time during the ongoing “Swords of Iron” war.

According to a ministry statement, in a major leap forward for military technology, dozens of enemy threats — primarily drones — were neutralized using high-powered laser technology developed through years of research and recently accelerated innovation.

The laser systems, which represent a revolutionary layer in Israel’s multi-tiered missile defense architecture, were rapidly deployed by the Air Force during the war.

The new systems reportedly achieved high interception rates, preventing potential casualties and damage to key infrastructure.

This achievement marks the first operational use of such high-powered laser technology on the battlefield globally.

The Resilience of Israel’s Economy

 For full article see  https://www.jpost.com/aliyah/assisted-living-facilities/article-855353

To understand the resilience of Israel’s economy, one must look at the objective data that reflects a country’s ability to withstand times of crisis. At the start of the "Iron Swords" war, various economic indicators showed significant declines. However, these downturns lasted only a few months. Soon after, the economy bounced back to full strength—despite the ongoing war, rocket attacks from multiple directions, and the uncertainty weighing on the country's citizens.

How did this happen? Credit usage returned to pre-war levels. The shekel, which had weakened and crossed the four-shekel-per-dollar mark in late 2023, regained its value. The demand for housing, both from Israeli citizens and foreign buyers, steadily increased.

When a Jewish person abroad fears walking the streets wearing a kippah, speaking Hebrew or showing an affiliation to their traditions, the national homeland becomes an almost immediate preferred investment—securing the future. That is precisely what happened in Israel throughout 2024. The number of Jewish buyers purchasing homes in Israel surged significantly, contributing to the economy’s return to normal activity levels.

Furthermore, despite the prolonged war, Israel is expected to see economic growth of 4% over the next two years—matching the pace of leading global economies. Unemployment remains very low, fluctuating between 2.6% and 3.7%, figures that effectively indicate full employment. While the debt-to-GDP ratio initially climbed to 72%, it has since returned to 69%. When compared to countries like the U.S., Italy, the U.K., France, or Austria, Israel’s economic standing is remarkably strong. Macroeconomic data points to highly effective economic management by the Bank of Israel.

When comparing stock market performance, the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange outperformed the New York Stock Exchange in 2024.

So, what is the foundation of Israel’s economic strength? First and foremost—its people. Israel’s GDP per capita stands at approximately $58,000, ranking it 13th in the world. The country benefits from capital, cutting-edge technology, but above all, highly talented and deeply committed individuals who invest immense effort in maintaining a strong economy and a high quality of life. 

Agricultural Crime Skyrockets in Southern Israel

 Agricultural crime has skyrocketed in southern Israel since the beginning of the year, with farmers mainly blaming a justice system that does not penalize criminals sufficiently to create proper deterrence, as Ynet reported last week

The culprits are usually Bedouin, whether working alone or in gangs. The thieves steal animals, agricultural machines, farm produce and piping from fields and barns, and break into homes as well.

Cattle and sheep theft alone has risen more than 200% over 2024.

A vast majority of the criminals are not caught, and even when some are, usually very few of the animals are recovered.

This is despite the authorities doing a better job than they used to.

“I don’t have many complaints about the police,” said Eran Guy, deputy security coordinator of a moshav in the western Negev. “A decade ago, people would steal, I would call 100 and they would come after two or three days. There has been a change…. They try very hard. But [the area] is full of crime.”

There is also a very active drug and weapons smuggling route nearby, he noted, as well as openly growing marijuana fields.

“In the southern district, from Ashdod to Eilat, which controls 60% of the agricultural land in the country, most of the fields are in isolated places… If there is an isolated wheat field and there are no cameras in the area, my chances of catching a thief are zero,” said Superintendent Amos Damari, commander of the Southern Border Police Division.

Ambushes based on intelligence and knowledge of the various growing seasons is the most successful tactic the police use, he explained.

The problem of attaining justice is two-fold. Indictments in general, said the report, will only be filed for relatively large thefts, and the sentences meted out are too light.

Active prison time ranging from several months to five years are unremarkable, and fines are rarely high.

Those who are underage get off even easier. Bedouin minors are living lives of crime and do not fear getting caught “because the law is with them and they have good lawyers,” said Guy. “This attitude will not stop the thieves”.

“If they would catch a sheep rustler and put him in jail for 15 years, and put the next guy in for 15 years, they’d understand that there’s no such thing as making easy money,” he said.

Farmers have become fearful for their personal safety as well as their financial wellbeing.

“First of all, there is the damage to your sense of personal security,” D., a veteran dairy farmer, said. “My farm is my home. And someone broke into your house while you were at home. He took what was yours. It makes you sleepless for many nights to come.”

“It’s a blow on an economic and personal level,” he added. “The members are suffering, they are not sleeping at night, and there is a fear of letting the children roam freely in the moshav.”

The Media Painted Israel’s Eurovision Entry as ‘Divisive.’ Viewers Made Her a Star.

 (With thanks to Honest Reporting, For the full report see https://honestreporting.com/the-media-painted-israels-eurovision-entry-as-divisive-viewers-made-her-a-star/: ) 5 minutes

Reading the media’s Eurovision coverage ahead of Saturday night’s live final, you could be forgiven for thinking Europe was on the brink of revolt — not over the music, but because Israel was allowed to compete.

The contest was held in Basel, Switzerland but instead of coverage on costumes, staging, or song predictions, much of the press zeroed in on Israel.

Take the Associated Press, which on May 16 published a piece headlined: “Israel’s presence still roils Eurovision a year after major protests over the war in Gaza.” The article detailed a protest in Basel the night before the final — involving 200 people, “many draped in Palestinian flags,” demanding Israel’s expulsion from the competition. That’s 200 people. In a city hosting an event watched by 160 million.

NBC News took an even more dramatic tone with its headline: “United by music, divided on Israel: Eurovision tensions bubble up in famously neutral Switzerland.” Readers were told that protests over Israel’s participation had reached a “fever pitch,” and that “Basel, and Europe at large, are anything but united.” A fever pitch? An entire continent divided? Over 200 people with flags — and little more than death threats for a 24-year-old woman?

AFP joined the chorus with a headline on May 11: “Parade, protests kick off Eurovision Song Contest week.” But even that article opened with a contradictory statement: “The Swiss city is hosting the 69th edition of the world’s biggest annual live televised music event, reaching around 160 million viewers.”

In other words: massive global interest. And yet, we’re meant to believe the event was overshadowed by a protest that could barely fill a city square.

CNN, meanwhile, once again demonstrated its disconnect from public sentiment with a piece titled “The good, the bad and the raunchy: All 26 Eurovision songs, ranked from worst to first.” The article placed Yuval Raphael’s “New Day Will Rise” at a dismissive 20th out of 26, describing it as the second consecutive Israeli entry to “make implicit reference to Hamas’ attacks,” but adding that “on a musical level, it’s the weaker of the pair.”

Israel Triumphs in Public Vote

So after all the noise, what happened?

Israel came first in the audience vote. In other words: if the public alone had decided, Israel would have won.

Israel earned the maximum 12 points in the public vote from the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Australia, and Portugal — all of whose juries gave her zero. In Ireland, where the broadcaster led the charge to discuss Israel’s participation, the public gave Israel 10 points, and the jury gave 7.

For all the media’s insistence that Israel’s presence was unwelcome, millions of ordinary viewers voted otherwise.

Let’s be honest: much of the media wasn’t reporting on Eurovision — it was campaigning within it. The press wanted to make Israel’s participation look controversial. They wanted Raphael to lose. That, for them, would have been the ultimate verdict: a musical referendum on Israel.

But they failed. The audience saw through it. The public voted. And Israel’s Yuval Raphael sang — and soared.

 

USA Falling for Iran's Tricks Again

• Iran appears to be using diplomacy to stall, deceive and advance its nuclear capabilities behind closed doors, while securing financial and geopolitical concessions from the West.
• The disturbing part is not that Iran's mullahs are following their usual tactics. The horror is that American officials and Western leaders appear to be falling for this shell-game all over again.
• The problem with enriching hostile regimes to "buy quiet" is that this is the money they use to build nuclear weapons with which to attack us.
• An additional problem, unfortunately, is that the Iranian regime has a well-documented history of lying.
• No deal that permits any level of enrichment or allows Iran to keep its centrifuges intact will prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.
• We are trying to "deal" with theocrats who believe it is their divine duty to destroy Israel and America, and take over the oil-rich states in the Persian Gulf.
• What makes the current situation even more exasperating is that despite decades of talks, deals and diplomatic theater with North Korea, Russia, China and Iran, we have watched them exploit Western weakness and lack of resolve time and again right under our noses. Yet, like Charlie Brown and the football, the West insists on accepting the same failed, bogus guarantees. We do not need another Swiss-cheese agreement filled with loopholes. We do not need photo-ops and press conferences proclaiming bogus triumphs.

(Dr. Majid Rafizadeh, born in Iran, a political scientist, human rights defender, and journalist, is president of the International American Council on the Middle East. Harvard-educated. )

For full article read at https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/21627/iran-using-north-korea-playbook