LOS ANGELES.–Striking Iran’s nuclear enrichment industry, 75-year-old Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Iran’s nuke program an existential treat to Israe, taking preemptive action in defense of Israeli national security. President Donald Trump, 79, had been actively engaged in four prior rounds of nuke talks, all going nowhere with Qatar mediating talks because the U.S. and Iran have not had diplomatic relations since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Iran’s stubborn refusal to reestablish diplomatic relations with the U.S. has only added to the tensions that resulted in Netanyahu taking Israeli national security into his own hands. Iran’s mullah government’s refusal to engage in normal diplomatic relations stem from the fact that Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khaemenei uses the U.S. and Israel as a constant foils, frequently saying “death to America,” “death to Israel.”
So, when the latest round of peace talk led by Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi failed to yield any results other than more vitriol from Iran’s leaders, it’s no wonder Israel resorted to military force. Trump was willing to let diplomacy play out a while longer but knew it was a long shot to get any results from the hostile mullah regime. Calling Israeli’s strikes “declaration of war,” Araghchi better think twice before engaging the U.S. and Israel into a confrontation that could easily topple Iran’s mullah government. Araghchi accused the U.S. of direct involvement in the attacks, despite 53-year-old Secretary of State Marco Rubio saying that the U.S. was not involved in Israel’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Iran blames the U.S. for anything done by Israel, refusing to give Israel any credit for having all the advanced intel necessary for such an attack.
Ayatollah Khamenei responded in the same fashion to any U.S. or Israeli attack, promising to destroy the Jewish State, something that only gives Netanyahu more impetus for dealing with Iran militarily. “Aggression against Iran could not have been carried out without the coordination and approval of the United States,” Araghchi said. Trump tried to give Iran a runway to negotiate on its nuke program, something rejected by the Ayatollah and his extremist ruling council. “Consequently, the U.S. government, as the primary patron of his regime, will also bear responsibility for the dangerous repercussion of the Zionist regime’s reckless actions,” said Iran’s Foreign Ministry in a statement. Drawing the U.S. into the conflict would have consequences on the mullah’s regime’s survival, knowing that both Israel and the U.S. could toppled the Ayatollah’s mullah regime.
Israel’s attacks did more than hit Iran’s nuclear infrastructure at Natanz and other underground enrichment sites. Israel struck Iran’s Revolutionary Guard headquarters killing Chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp [IRGC] Hossein Salami and the country chief of staff of the armed forces, Gen. Mohammed Bagheri. Ayatollah already replaced Salami with Ahmed Vahidi and Bagheri with Hezbollah’s Sayyari. Hezbollah’s Supreme Leader made all kinds of threats against Israel before he was taken out Sept. 27, 2024 at his Lebanon headquarters. If Ayatollah Ali Khamenei gets the picture, Israel could take him out at anytime. Whether he retaliates with drone or missile strikes or not, the Ayatollah is on thin ice thinking he can retaliate against Israel and the United States. Ahmed Vahidi was responsible for the attack in Buenos Aires July 18, 1994 of a Jewish community center killing 85.
Ayatollah Khamenei has watched his proxy terror group dismantled in the last few years since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israelis, taking 251 hostages. Israel has neutralized Hamas and Hezbollah to the point they can no longer serve the Ayatollah as a proxy force for Iran in their ongoing war with Israel. Only Yemen’s Houthi rebels have held on but have watched their fortunes vanish with relentless U.S. and Israeli attacks. So, when it comes to Ayatollah’s grip on state-sponsored terrorism in the Middle East it’s diminished dramatically. When it comes to its nuke program, the Ayatollah could have negotiated in good faith with Trump to avoid the latest attack on its nuclear infrastructure. Ayatollah Khamenei is running out of options to retain his grip on power in Tehran. One mistake now could result in Israel taking him out like other terrorist leaders.
Iran announced that it was suspending nuke talks with the U.S. scheduled for this weekend. If the Ayatollah doesn’t resume talks, he faces more military strikes on Iran’s nuke infrastructure. Trump said today that maybe the Ayatollah would be inclined to redouble efforts on a new nuke deal. Whatever the U.S. role in the recent attacks, clearly Trump wants to see Iran go back to the peace table and strike a new nuke deal. In four previous rounds of talks, Iran has only complained about being bullied by the U.S. to stop its nuclear enrichment program. Netanyahu certainly helped make the point that either Iran negotiate in good faith on a new nuke deal or face more military strikes on its nuke infrastructure. Trump has offered many constructive solutions to the current stalemate. He offered to buy Iran’s nuclear stockpile and put it under U.N. IAEA inspections.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
