You could say this past weekend was full of “non-surprises.”
Beginning on Sunday, Iran launched multiple rounds of ballistic missiles at Israel. This marked the first such attack since the ceasefire came into effect last April—but it’s not as though the regime had not already broken the agreement time and time again. And yes, after setting the Middle East back on fire, Iran threatened to launch even more attacks.
It’s a very big development, no doubt, but are you really surprised?
This is who Iran’s regime is, and this is what they do. It’s all mayhem, murder, lies, and double talk. It’s been that way for 47 years. Until this regime is decisively defeated and removed from power, the madness will continue.
The latest flare-up began in Lebanon, where Iran’s proxy Hezbollah has been launching daily rocket and drone barrages at the Jewish State. Villages and towns in northern Israel have been evacuated, and several Israeli soldiers have lost their lives. Israel had to respond.
On Saturday, the IDF launched airstrikes against a Hezbollah hideout in the southern suburbs of Beirut. The message was sent. But Iran wanted to send a message of its own.
Remember, Hezbollah is the crown jewel of Iran’s terror proxy network, and if Hezbollah is destroyed, it represents a major blow to Iran’s mad mullahs and their plans for regional domination—including the destruction of Israel. So, despite the ceasefire and ongoing peace talks with the United States, Iran decided to launch a flurry of ballistic missiles. Israelis were back in bomb shelters, and the country was once again on high alert.
Thankfully, no one was hurt by these Iranian missiles, and damage appears to be minimal. Israel’s first instinct—and rightfully so—was to respond with overwhelming force and strike Iran.
It is absolutely intolerable to have missiles raining down on your country. Would Americans just sit back and absorb ballistic missiles bombarding the U.S. mainland? Of course we wouldn’t! No one would.
In fact, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, just a few months ago, responding to Iranian attacks on American targets, stated: “If you fire at a U.S. Navy ship, what are we supposed to do? Say, oh, there’s a ceasefire, we’re not going to shoot down your drone? That’s a stupid question. That’s a stupid position to take. Of course we fired back at them. They were shooting at us. That’s what I would expect to do. Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at, and we’re not a stupid country.”
Let me reiterate that clear statement: “Only stupid countries don’t shoot back when you’re shot at.” Agreed! Which is why it was so confusing when President Trump tried to restrain Israel yesterday, urging Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to respond to Iran’s unprovoked missile attack.
The president wants a deal with Iran—a deal which will not be worth the paper it’s written on. Trump was concerned that if Israel responded, it would jeopardize this Iran deal, which the president keeps assuring us is “very close.”
Prime Minister Netanyahu rightly ignored the president on this and retaliated. To not do so would have only emboldened Iran to carry out further strikes. This is how the Middle East works, and always has. If you give a bully there an inch, they’ll take a mile.
Israel launched major attacks against targets throughout Iran, including against a petrochemical complex that is key to Iran’s ballistic missile program.
“Iran and Hezbollah are weaker than ever, and we are stronger than ever,” Netanyahu stressed. “But our struggle against them is not over yet. Over the past day, Iran and Hezbollah tried to impose a new equation on us. And that equation is intolerable and completely unacceptable. They thought they could fire from Lebanon and Iran at Israel and we would not respond. That did not happen, and it wil not happen. Not on my watch. As I have done for decades, I stand firmly for our right to act against our enemies. That is exactly how we acted now.”
Amen.
Iran went on to fire several more missiles at central Israel, bringing the total to 24 Iranian missiles launched at Israel within 24 hours. All of them were either intercepted or fell into open areas—thank God. At the same time, another Iranian proxy, the Houthis, joined the fray from Yemen and fired two missiles at the Jewish State.
Meanwhile, President Trump is asking both sides to hold their fire as he works towards a deal.
Folks, here’s the problem. We have been working towards a deal for two months, and Iran’s regime still does not seem willing to end its nuclear program, give up its enriched uranium, end its support for proxies like Hezbollah, end its development of ballistic missiles, and open the Strait of Hormuz for safe passage.
Now, I don’t know what the regime’s minions say in private negotiations with U.S. officials, but in public, they seem to be growing more belligerent by the day.
Operation Epic Fury was an incredible accomplishment, destroying Iran’s Navy, Air Force, and air defenses. It further decimated its ballistic missile stockpiles and nuclear program, and eliminated many top Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. The U.S. and Israel work side by side to bring the world’s number one state sponsor of terrorism to its knees.
For the past two months, we have tried a ceasefire. It hasn’t worked because a deal takes two to tango. President Trump’s a dealmaker; he knows that better than anyone. He knows that Iran is led by Islamic jihadist fanatics.
Up until now, Trump has made all the right moves when it comes to Iran, over both his first and second terms. He is the first American president to confront this demonic regime. He has earned the benefit of the doubt… but it’s become very clear that the time for talk is over. The longer talks drag on, the more emboldened the Ayatollahs become.
Let’s finish the job.
God willing, in doing so, we not only free the Iranian people, but we will also send a message to tyrants around the world—that includes Islamic terrorists who are slaughtering Christians in places like Africa right now.
