For years, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was Iranโs best friend, downplaying or completely whitewashing the nationโs nefarious nuclear goals. But now that the IAEA has finally called Iran out for its weapons-grade uranium enrichment, Tehran has decided to suspend cooperation with the UN-affiliated agency. Apparently, a friend is only a friend until they stop lying for you.
While the ayatollahs are pulling back from external scrutiny, they are implementing their own internal inquiries in a very harsh purge. The number of executions of Iranian civilians just before and immediately following the ceasefire agreement exceeded that of civilians killed during the entire 12-day war. During the days following, more than 700 suspected spies were arrested in a paranoid crackdown on potential espionage.
The Persian paranoia has even extended to their appointing of a new high-ranking commander in the IRGC. Notice that I did not use the phrase โnaming of a new commanderโ because, due to the epidemic of assassinations, this IRGC muckety-muck has been appointed anonymously. I understand this completely, and if I were ALI ABDOLLAHI ALIABADI, senior IRGC official who held several roles in the government of former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iโd want to remain anonymous, too. Good luck, unnamed general, and donโt forget to watch your back.
Israel/Hamas Ceasefire Unlikely as Gideonโs Chariots Roll On
US President Donald Trumpโs team is working on a ceasefire agreement for Israel and Hamas, but itโs a non-starter as it now stands. Despite Israel agreeing to the necessary conditions to finalize the 60-day ceasefire, Hamas continues to say that they wonโt agree to anything that doesnโt include a complete end to the war and the IDF withdrawing from the entire Gaza Strip. In essence, theyโre saying, โSince itโs kind of a draw, letโs go back to how it was before we slaughtered all your citizens and kidnapped your people. โKay?โ
Israelโs response to this stupidity is seen in the continued progression of Operation Gideonโs Chariots. There are three main focuses to this operation. First is the operational deployment which can be seen in IDF Division 162 holding and operating in Northern Gaza, Division 98 reinforcing control in Northern Gaza, Division 99 securing Central Gaza, Division 36 operating in Southern Gaza, and Division 143 maintaining perimeter security and control in Rafah. Second is the strategic focus which is evidenced by the intense operations targeting Gaza City with coordinated efforts to disrupt terror activities and secure urban strongholds. Finally, there are the distribution zones which are current and planned operational hubs strategically positioned to ensure logistical efficiency and tactical superiority across the strip. Itโs a very difficult and dangerous undertaking, and Israel is sadly losing men and women regularly.
Syria has a New Army
The good news is that the Syrian army loyal to the evil Bashar al-Assad regime is now defunct. The bad news is that it has been replaced by a military comprised of jihadists from Hayโat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), the Syrian branch of Al Qaeda. Why would the new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, a man President Trump called a โyoung, attractive guyโ, allow a bunch of terrorists to infiltrate his army? Because prior to becoming president, al-Sharaa was known as Abu Mohammad al-Julani, and was the commander, or Emir, of HTS. This newly branded military comes fully loaded with suicide drones, advanced weapons, helicopters, and armored brigades.
So far, apart from some purges against his own people and against the Druze, al-Sharaa has kept his terrorist horde at bay. This has led President Trump to extend some trust to al-Sharaa, terminating sanctions against Syria and removing the countryโs designation as a โState Sponsor of Terrorismโ. Israel would love normalization with this nation that has been determined to wipe us off the map from the date of our inception. But letโs just say that weโre a little more skeptical based on past experiences. Weโll keep taking baby steps forward, but the chances of us entering any future agreement without some serious border assurances is essentially nil.
Hezbollahโs Not Quite Dead Yet
If you are ever in the unenviable position of having to kill a viper, make sure it is one hundred percent, without a doubt, completely dead. The reason is that if there happens to be just a breath of life in it when you go to dispose of the body, you just might find yourself snakebit. Hezbollah is on its last legs. The funds and arms it received from Iran have dried up. Lebanese politicians are calling for the terrorist group to leave the country once and for all. During the twelve-day conflict between Israel and Iran, the proxy militia couldnโt even manage to shoot off one rocket in support of their Persian masters. Still, Israel canโt take the chance that Hezbollah is only โmostly deadโ.
Thus, in the week preceding June 30, eight Hezbollah operatives were eliminated in southern Lebanon. Among these deceased terrorists were various commanders, a manager of the Al-Sadiq money exchange house which is linked to the groupโs funding network, and Abbas Al-Hassan Wahbi who was responsible for intelligence for Hezbollahโs Radwan Force battalion. The IDF will not cease beating the head of the snake with a shovel until it is either sure it is dead or it slithers away never to be seen again.
Yemenโs Firing Missiles, As Always
The Houthis just canโt seem to stop firing missiles at Israel. Despite their Iranian controllers being severely knocked down, the drug-fueled terrorist group canโt process it through their addled minds that their mission is futile. Israel has been distracted with other important matters, but the Houthisโ time is coming. According to Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz on Tuesday, โYemenโs fate will be the same as Tehranโs. After striking the head of the snake in Tehran, we will also strike the Houthis in Yemen. Whoever raises a hand against Israel, his hand will be cut off.โ
The Many Arms of Israel
Israel is a major player when it comes to military arms, both in the importing and the exporting. The US State Department has approved a sale of $510 million worth of ammunition to Israel. This includes 3,845 JDAM guidance kits for use with the 2,000-pound bunker-busting BLU-109 bombs, and another 3,280 JDAM guidance kits for the MK 82, a 500-pound general purpose bomb. In addition, an American bipartisan proposal could allow the Trump administration to arm Israel with B-2 bombers if Iran attempts to develop nuclear weapons again. The B-2 was what was needed to deploy the GBU-57 MOP bunker-busters that finally penetrated the deeply underground Iranian nuclear facilities.
As for exporting arms, Israel is making a deal with Romania worth $5.6 billion. In return for that hefty price tag, the Romanian military will receive 41 air defense systems from Rafael, including 24 Iron Dome batteries and 17 Spyder batteries.
Israelโs Miraculous Wartime Economy
Despite being at war for nearly two years, Israelโs economy continues its upward trajectory. The nationโs foreign exchange reserves in the vaults of the Bank of Israel have reached an all-time high of $224 billion. Few countries have such substantial reserves. Then, just yesterday, Israelโs stock market reached an all-time high. These miraculous blessings truly show Godโs grace and His commitment to His promises, despite most of Israel still being far away from Him. Imagine how His favor will flood the land when the day finally comes in which the Jews will recognize Yeshua for who He is, repent, and give their lives to Him as their Lord and Savior. That day is approaching. Unfortunately, there will be some incredibly difficult times for Israel and the world between now and then.
