Starvation? Real or Political Propaganda?

(Double click on the picture to enlarge)

Never in the history of warfare has so much aid been given
 by one combatant to another

 

The Libels Go On and On. Who Will Accept Facts?

From my friend Harvey Harris Green, who is saying what so many think.

The deliberate starvation blood libel against Israel has been contrived to demonize Israel so as to create the required public opinion to justify acts of terror including the murder, rape and kidnapping of Israelis and Jews. This holocaust is unraveling once again in front of our eyes. It's 2025. Only 80 years after the last Holocaust and the murder of one third of the Jewish people.

Public opinion and a lack of action by the international community enabled that. This is what the Nazis and their propaganda machine did in the period leading up to World War II. This is what Chamberlain and other Western governments bought into then.

This is being bought into now by Macron, Starmer, Albanese and other Western leaders aided and abetted by the UN, its corrupt agencies and the EU. Even the so-called mainstream media is complicit. This is antisemitism in its 21st century mutation.

Antisemitism is being advanced as policy by these bodies to condone and even justify the violence against Jews. It enables them to escape from having to deal with the violent antisemitism taking place in their own backyards.

WAKE UP.

BBC Publishes Reports Based on its Agenda Not Facts

 

With thanks to Hadar Sela of Camera for this research. Full report at https://tinyurl.com/3yte3e5t

 

On July 23rd the BBC News website published a report by David Gritten which was originally headlined “More than 100 humanitarian groups warn of mass starvation in Gaza”, with readers told that:

 

“More than 100 international aid organisations and human rights groups are warning of mass starvation in Gaza and pressing for governments to take action.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Save the Children and Oxfam are among the signatories of a joint statement that says their colleagues and the people they serve are “wasting away”.

It calls for an immediate ceasefire, the opening of all border crossings, and the free flow of aid led by the UN.”

 

These reports include the following photograph:

 

The BBC does not, however, inform its audiences :-

1. the EPA credited photograph was taken nearly two months ago on May 31st 2025 .
2. Neither does the BBC bother to clarify that – as reported by several media outlets in recent months – Osama al-Raqab suffers from the genetic disorder cystic fibrosis, which affects the digestive system.

 NBNBC -  “Osama’s grandmother Um Ahmad Al-Raqab called on Israeli authorities to allow her grandson to be evacuated out of Gaza for treatment for cystic fibrosis. The boy had the ailment, which can make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight, when the war began and is now suffering with acute malnutrition.” (April 14,2025)

 

3. Osama al-Raqab was one of seventeen children who were evacuated from the Gaza Strip on June 10th via Eilat – as reported by the BBC at the time – to receive medical treatment in Italy.

The good news is that Osama al-Raqab’s condition has since improved. See above

 

The bad news is that the BBC World Service promoted a nearly two-month-old photograph without informing its millions of Spanish and Portuguese speaking readers of its subject’s medical background, or of the rest of his story, in order to promote its chosen “widespread famine” narrative.

 

UNs Catastrophic Method of Food Distribution

 The aid trucks entering Gaza using the UN’s method

This is how Gazans are killed. And after that, the UN dares to 
claim that the method of distributing aid in the American 
GHF foundation’s aid distribution compounds is the 
one endangering the Gazans, and calls it (together with, 
for example, the journalist Muhammad Majadleh) “death traps.”

Do these Gazans looked starved?

What you see here in the video is the method the UN and Western 
European countries are pushing for Israel to adopt.

A Gaza Clan Leader Plans for Peace

 Yasser Abu Shabab, a clan leader who has taken it upon himself to take over from Hamas in eastern Rafah writes: For thousands of Gazans in eastern Rafah, the war is already over. This is how all of Gaza should be.

As head of the armed militia fighting Hamas and based in Rafah, he writes in an article for the American Wall Street Journal:

While most Gazans are still suffering as the war between Israel and Hamas continues, the situation is different for thousands of people in eastern Rafah - for them, the war is already over.

In this area, there are no casualties from airstrikes. There is no overcrowding at aid distribution points. There is no fear that Hamas will plant explosives in homes. People can sleep peacefully without fearing they won’t survive another day.

This should not be the exception - it can be the reality for all of Gaza’s residents. Most Gazans do not want Hamas rule, but despite their hatred for Hamas, they still fear it. Following protests earlier this year, some demonstrators were killed, tortured, and disappeared.

We have received requests from many families who want to move to eastern Rafah. We are ready to take responsibility for all of Rafah. Within a few short months, about 600,000 people - roughly a third of Gaza’s population - could be living outside the conflict zone.

Following the success in Rafah, independent zones could be established in other places as well.

We need three things:

1. Financial support

2. Humanitarian aid and infrastructure for the population

3. Safe corridors to these areas

In a short time, most of Gaza could transform from a battlefield into communities that can recover and move forward.

This is the only path to ending this conflict.

You've been lied to regarding Hunger in Gaza

Hear the truth behind the media’s portrayal of famine, exposing how Hamas

manipulates aid while the international community turns a blind eye.

Genocide of the Druze in Syria and the Media is Deathly Quiet!

 A genuine massacre takes place on the border of Israel, not of Israelis, 

but of Druze and the media TOTALLY ignores the atrocities and 

the attempts of ethnic cleansing of Druze by militias of the

 official Al Julani  government and others  who streamed in from Turkey.

British FM Speaks with Great Ignorance

 

In the above video, British Foreign Secretary David Lammy attacks, with great ignorance, the distribution of aid by the “new Israeli method” and calls it inhumane. In practice, he is supporting Hamas and does not understand that the method he demands for food distribution (UN trucks to Hamas warehouses) is the one that kills and strengthens Hamas’s objectives.

Ignorance and deliberate deception by Hamas propaganda are leading Western countries to demand that aid enter the Gaza Strip directly into the hands of Hamas – how does this work, and where is the path of interests?

Since the distribution of aid packages in the Strip began through the American fund GHF, Hamas and the UN have been fighting it every step of the way. The reason Hamas and the UN are cooperating here is shared interests – power and control.

 For decades, the UN built a corrupt aid distribution system in the Strip that operated in a systematic and well-known way. Hamas coveted this and very quickly learned to control it, turning it into one of its sources of income and one of its bases of power for controlling the population.

When the American aid fund GHF began operating in the Strip about two months ago, Hamas' and the UN’s control over the flow of aid to the Strip was undermined. They suddenly had a competitor who received support from the US President.

From that moment, Hamas and the UN each acted to discredit the aid distribution efforts of the GHF fund – it simply took the power out of the hands of Hamas. Hamas launched an aggressive media campaign against the fund and even tried (and is still trying) to harm it through terror.

The Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza systematically floods the media daily with reports of casualties (sometimes dozens a day), attributing them to food distribution by the GHF fund – something that is completely untrue. It’s simply a systematic lie that Western media outlets embrace, thus creating a reality that doesn’t exist.

For the UN, this is wonderful – the same interest. The UN wants to control the aid. The absurdity is so great that the latest claim by Hamas and the Gaza Health Ministry about around 100 deaths daily, supposedly while trying to get food, was attributed entirely to the American fund’s food distribution efforts, when in reality the entire incident revolved around aid trucks that the UN brought in through Zikim in the northern Strip – with no connection to GHF at all.

In other words, the headlines about the recent casualties that filled Western media should actually have supported the American fund’s activities – because it was the aid brought in by the UN that caused the deaths. And that’s without even mentioning that the UN’s delivery of aid strengthens Hamas, which distributes the aid to its associates and to merchants who profit from the free aid and, in the process, enrich Hamas’s coffers.

Winning Battles but Losing Minds

How Hamas exploits psychology to harm Israel from within and abroad - opinion

If we want to win – not just the battles but also the war – we must start by understanding the battlefield we’re actually on.

IRWIN J. (YITZCHAK) MANSDORF MAY 12, 2025 (Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs)

One of the most basic insights in behavioral psychology is that people are wired to respond to immediate rewards even if those carry long-term consequences. Whether it’s eating another slice of cake, smoking a harmful cigarette, or running a red light, we tend to act when the benefit is now and the price is later. If the reward feels good enough and the threat seems distant enough, we take the risk.

This is not just human nature. It’s a weapon; one that Hamas has used masterfully in its psychological war against Israel and the West over the past 18 months.

With the help of Iranian and Qatari backers, Hamas has turned hostage diplomacy into a psychological trap. The emotional appeal of bringing hostages home – a deeply human desire – has become the bait. The cost? A stronger, bolder, more dangerous Hamas, just as ideologically committed to Israel’s destruction as ever.

And the trap is working.

In Israel, fatigue from the ongoing war has begun to show. 

Reservists still show up, but morale is fraying as the burden falls unevenly across society. Public discourse is dominated by the plight of the hostages. Families appear on TV daily. Emotional appeals grip the nation. Understandably, the public pressure to “do something” grows – and Hamas knows this. That’s why, every few weeks, another hostage video surfaces, precisely timed to stoke hope, pain, and division.

The price of a deal with Hamas

Every potential deal with Hamas carries a price. And the terror organization ensures that the price is steep. Within Israel, a moral rift is deepening. For some, particularly hostage families, nothing matters more than bringing loved ones home. For others, the memory of October 7 and the desire to ensure it never happens again means defeating Hamas, even at terrible cost.

This is the heart of our moral dilemma: Two values – both legitimate – that feel increasingly irreconcilable.

Hamas is exploiting this divide with precision. One day, it offers a temporary hudna (“ceasefire”). The next, it releases a hostage video. All the while, it plays the victim: children under rubble, hospitals without power, shelters destroyed. The images are tragic – but they also serve a purpose. The responsibility, they suggest, lies not with Hamas, but with Israel.

Incredibly, many Israelis, who despise Hamas and all it stands for, fall into this psychological trap. Instead of demanding that Hamas release the hostages unconditionally, as international law requires, public anger often turns inward, toward the Israeli government. It is a striking success of Hamas’s psychologically asymmetric strategy.

The same is true in the West. There, the dominant narrative is one of Israeli oppression and “genocide” in Gaza. This narrative is a result of years of emotional manipulation and moral confusion.

Headlines show starving children and suffering patients, rarely acknowledging Hamas’s role in initiating the conflict or continuing to hold innocent Israelis captive. The moral burden shifts to Israel, while the terrorists evade accountability.

What does this all mean? First, we must take a more sober view of the reality we’re in. The moral imperative to rescue living hostages is real – but so is the government’s duty to protect its citizens from future atrocities. 

These are not easy choices. But they are not mutually exclusive either. We must stop demonizing decisions we disagree with and start appreciating the weight of the dilemma.

Second, we must recognize that Hamas is watching us, learning about us, and playing us. 

Militarily, we may be stronger. But on the psychological battlefield, Hamas currently holds the emotional upper hand. That’s how it continues to manipulate public opinion, both in Israel and in the West.

Our protests, our discourse, and our divisions have become tools in the hands of our enemy. Israelis must consider not just what they are demanding, but how those demands are expressed. 

In the West, those who value freedom, justice, and moral clarity must understand that the same tactics Hamas uses against Israel can – and will – be used against them too.

The threat is not only to Israel’s resolve. It is to the moral fabric of democratic societies that fall for the easy narratives of victimhood.

Psychological warfare is still warfare. And if we want to win – not just the battles but also the war – we must start by understanding the battlefield we’re actually on. 

UN suspends aid work in Houthi stronghold after staff taken in Yemen

 For full article go to https://tinyurl.com/yhjk3mn7

 ( Ed comment -  if this had been Israel can you imagine the hysterical reactions?) 

The United Nations on Monday said it suspended its humanitarian operations in the stronghold of Yemen’s Houthi rebels after they detained eight more U.N. staffers, affecting the global response to one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. 

In a statement, the U.N. said the “extraordinary” decision to pause all operations and programs in northern Saada province was due to the lack of necessary security conditions and guarantees. 

A spokesman for the Houthis didn’t immediately respond to messages seeking comment.

The rebels in recent months have detained dozens of U.N. staffers, as well as people associated with aid groups, civil society and the once-open U.S. Embassy in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital. None of the U.N. staffers has been released.

The U.N. statement said the pause in operations is meant to give the Houthis and the world body time to “arrange the release of arbitrarily detained U.N. personnel and ensure that the necessary conditions are in place to deliver critical humanitarian support” in rebel-held areas.

It said the latest detained U.N. staffers — taken late last month — included six working in Saada, on Yemen’s northern border with Saudi Arabia.

Seven U.N. agencies operate in Saada, including the World Food Program, the World Health Organization and UNICEF, along with several international aid organizations, according to the U.N. humanitarian agency.

The U.N. late last month suspended all travel into Houthi-held areas. 

The war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including fighters and civilians. The Iranian-backed Houthis have been fighting Yemen’s internationally recognized government, which is backed by a Saudi-led coalition, since 2014, when they descended from their stronghold in Saada and took control of Sanaa and most of the north.

The U.N. had projected that over 19 million people across Yemen will need humanitarian assistance this year as many deal with climate shocks, malnutrition, cholera and the economic effects of war.

 

 

 

Israel Protects Syrian Druze

In the ongoing battle between Druze, Bedouin and Syrian regime forces, the IDF is targeting the Syrian regime near Druze strongholds: In parallel, the Israeli Air Force struck Syrian military vehicles — including tanks, APCs, and MLRS — advancing toward the Druze-majority city of Sweida in southern Syria. These strikes were conducted to block the convoys' access, prevent escalation and protect the Druze.

The Syrian regime had entered Sweida amid deadly clashes with Bedouin tribes, prompting concerns in Israel over the safety of the Druze population there.

In a joint statement, Prime Minister Netanyahu and Defense Minister Katz declared: “We have instructed the IDF to strike Syrian forces and weapons in the Sweida area. This action follows Syrian forces entering the territory in violation of demilitarization agreements and threatening Israel.”

They underscored Israel’s unwavering commitment to protect the Druze in Syria, highlighting the strong familial and historical bonds with Israel’s own Druze citizens. “Israel is committed to preventing harm to the Druze in Syria due to the deep brotherly alliance with our Druze citizens in Israel... and we are acting to ensure the demilitarization of the area adjacent to our border with Syria,” the statement added.

Following these instructions, the IDF promptly struck regime convoys approaching the region, targeting both vehicles and roads to halt further movement.

This strategic message demonstrates Israel’s commitment upholding border demilitarization agreements. The IDF remains on high alert and prepared for all future developments.

Israel Attacks Hezbollah Trying to Rebuild Radwan Force

The IDF, under the direction of the Intelligence Directorate and Northern Command, launched a wave of airstrikes today targeting Hezbollah terror sites in Lebanon’s Beqaa region. The strikes focused on military compounds used by Hezbollah's elite “Radwan Force” for weapons training and tactical drills aimed at preparing yet again, attacks on IDF soldiers and Israeli civilians.

This force is infamous for its "Conquer the Galilee" plan, a long-standing threat that saw a major setback in September 2024 when Israeli operations eliminated its commanders in Beirut and southern Lebanon during Operation Northern Arrows. Since then, Hezbollah has attempted to rebuild Radwan’s operational strength — efforts that the IDF has worked continuously to disrupt over the past two years.

Defense Minister Israel Katz stated: “Our strikes in Lebanon are a clear message to the Hezbollah terror organization — which is working to rebuild its Radwan Force infiltration capabilities against Israel — and to the Lebanese government, which is obligated to uphold its commitments to Israel. We will strike every terrorist, eliminate every threat, and respond with maximum force to any attempt at rebuilding.”

Katz emphasized that Hezbollah’s use of these training camps, along with their storage of weapons, violates Israeli-Lebanese agreements and poses an ongoing threat to Israel's national security.

The Difference Between the Media and Propaganda

 

From Yaffa Shir Raz of the Reichman International School, Haifa University

Honesty, accuracy, information verification, fairness, independence, responsibility.

This is not a theoretical concept. These are the fundamental principles that differentiate between press and propaganda.

And when we're in the midst of a war for our existence, this question is not just principled - it's fatal. Because when a journalist violates these standards, he not only abuses the public trust - he puts them in grave danger.

In an article written in October 2023 after the explosion at Al-Ahli Hospital in Gaza, I described the moral, ethical and professional failure of the elite newspapers - The New York Times, the BBC, the CNN, the Guardian - which almost unanimously stood by the Hamas propaganda, echoed his lies without even checking or verifying, and without really correcting even when it was already clear that the lie was revealed.

In recent months this sick propaganda has been infiltrating, like a poisonous bug, also into the conversation in Israel, with the movements and messages that have been developed in the explanatory systems of Hamas and Iran - penetrating the press, academia and Israeli politics:

• israel kills children"

• "Concentration Camp"

• "Genocide"

Same narrative, same framing, same rhetoric, same terms that Hamas and Iran have planted in their propaganda starting October 7.

Already on the 7th of this month, the Guardian published an interview with a holocaust historian from the Hebrew University, Prof. Amos Goldberg, who without hesitation used the horrifying pair of words "concentration camp".

And just yesterday - the Haaretz newspaper published an opinion column that sounded almost identical.

This is not investigative journalism. Not a criticism, nor a "human journalistic observation".

This is copy paste of the words of the terrorists.

A page of messages and rhetoric of Hamas and Iran - copied and adopted by the international press, and now mostly the horror also by journalists, academics and politicians in Israel.

And in the journalistic aspect - it's a kick in the head for any ethical, moral and professional code. Because a journalist does not make an effort and echoes a narrative of a terrorist organization and doesn't even quote the Hamas message page as if there was an investigation.

I don't step on our children, brothers and friends who are in the active field - just to show "morality".

.

GHF Doing its Job - delivering meals

 The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) has provided details about the type of food it is distributing in Gaza, regarding its ongoing operations and its application for US government funding.

According to the organization, each aid box distributed is designed to sustain a family of 5.5 individuals for approximately 3.5 days.

The contents of the boxes vary slightly depending on availability and cost but typically include flour, sugar, rice, cooking oil, pasta, a protein such as canned tuna, and dried beans. Additional items such as tea, coffee, cookies, chocolates are available. GHF has also begun distributing potatoes, which the organization said have been well received by recipients.

GHF delivered more than 66 million meals over a month

The group stated that the food packages exceed the caloric minimums set by the international humanitarian community and are consistent with aid typically provided by other organizations. GHF said it has also distributed aid on behalf of other humanitarian groups.GHF spokesperson Chapin Fay said on Tuesday that the organization has delivered more than 66 million meals over a month and highlighted what he described as the group’s success in distributing food without interference from Hamas.

“GHF has done what others could not: deliver free, nutritious, and secure emergency food aid directly to the people of Gaza without interference from Hamas,” said Fay. “In just over a month, we’ve delivered more than 66 million meals. We’re grateful to the Trump Administration for recognizing the impact of our work with a $30 million commitment to help expand our operations.”

The group also addressed questions surrounding a review performed by USAID of GHF’s application for grant funding, stating that the process is routine and that the organization is cooperating fully. Fay noted that the organization’s operational model is designed to prevent diversion, fraud, or misuse of aid.

“Every dollar we receive is safeguarded to ensure all resources – which will eventually include American taxpayer funds – reach the people of Gaza, not Hamas,” he said.

GHF also alleged that some long-standing international aid groups have failed to prevent diversion of aid in Gaza and claimed that such organizations view GHF as a threat. Fay said that such criticism only harms the civilian population.

“The bottom line is GHF is delivering where others have not,” the organization concluded.

Nvidia boosts presence in Israel with multibillion-dollar tech campus.

 (For full article go to https://tinyurl.com/mry8yf26)

Nvidia is actively seeking land to build a massive multibillion-dollar tech campus in Israel’s north, which is expected to provide thousands of jobs in what promises to be a major expansion of the US chip giant’s operations in the country.

The computing juggernaut announced on Sunday that it had issued a so-called request for information (RFI) tender to locate a plot of land spanning 70 to 120 dunams (30 acres) with construction rights to build a campus of 80,000–180,000 square meters. Nvidia is interested in buying land with “high accessibility to main traffic arteries and public transportation” around Zichron Yaakov, Haifa, and the Jezreel Valley areas.

“It’s a very sizable investment, and to decide to locate it in Israel goes a long way and is a sign of confidence in the Israeli high-tech ecosystem,” Israel Innovation Authority CEO Dror Bin told The Times of Israel. “This declaration is mutually beneficial: Nvidia is enjoying the benefits of the local ecosystem and talent, and the ecosystem will enjoy this big investment of Nvidia because it will help Israel remain at the forefront of innovation and technology, especially in the artificial intelligence space.”

Bin added that a project of this size is slated to be one of the largest tech campuses in Israel. Its economic implications for the north of the country, he said, range from Nvidia’s level of commitment to Israel to the broader employment and suppliers needed to support the tech campus, and the companies that will develop around the site.

As global tech firms including Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Tesla race to build AI data centers and dominate the emerging technology, demand for Nvidia’s most advanced processors is surging.

“Israel is a superpower when it comes to chip design and development, and most of the large multinationals such as Intel and Apple that develop chips have a presence in Israel because of the local human talent and its capabilities in making real breakthroughs,” Bin added.

Nvidia’s R&D activities in Israel are already the firm’s largest outside of the US. At the end of December, the chipmaker announced the completion of the acquisition of Israeli AI workload management startup Run:ai for an estimated $700 million.

 

Nvidia employs over 5,000 workers in Israel in seven R&D centers, from Yokne’am, the headquarters of Mellanox, to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Ra’anana, and Beersheba in the south. This year, Nvidia also boosted its footprint in Tel Aviv by renting another 10 floors in the Rubinstein Twin Towers, in addition to the eight floors it already occupied.

GHF Confirm Success in Food Distribution in Gaza

 

Senior Mossad Officer on Iran: "The Mission is Not Over"

(With thanks to the IDSF - The Israel Defense and Security Forum)

A former senior Mossad official describes his reaction

to the 12 day war between Israel and Iran and

seeing 30 years of preparation become operational.

He talks about how the Mossad planned their activities

and what is next for the agency. He also shares

his broader strategic assessment for the region.

The Eternal Riddle

 The following poem was written in 1914 byPhilip M. Raskin 

(how true this is even today)

Israel, my people, God's greatest riddle,
Will thy solution ever be told

Fought - never conquered, bent - never broken,
Mortal - immortal, youthful, though old.

Egypt enslaved thee, Babylon crushed thee,
Rome led thee captive, homeless thy head.

Where are those nations mighty and fearsome
Thou hast survived them, they are long dead.

Nations keep coming, nations keep going,
Passing like shadows, wiped off the earth.

Thou an eternal witness remainest,
Watching their burial, watching their birth.

Pray, who revealed thee Heaven's great secret:
Death and destruction, thus to defy

Suffering torture, stake, inquisition -
Prithee, who taught thee never to die

Ay, and who gave thee faith, deep as ocean,
Strong as the rock-hills, fierce as the sun

Hated and hunted, ever thou wand'rest,
Bearing a message: God is but one!

Pray, has thy saga likewise an ending,
As its beginning glorious of old

Israel, my people, God's greatest riddle,
Will thy solution ever be told

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.