Will Netanyahu drag the U.S. directly into his war against Iran?
When a delegation from Hamas arrived in Moscow after the 7 October attacks, Putin passed a message of thanks for this “birthday gift”, my sources tell me. Putin was born on the same day in 1952.
Would Russia allow Israel, supplied by the US, to topple Iran after the loss of Bashar al-Assad in Syria?
It’s a question that Netanyahu and Trump should consider. Trump had a 50-minute talk with Putin over the weekend.
Netanyahu should also consider what he would do if the war lasts more than two weeks and Iran does not wave the white flag.
So should those Gulf states that spent $4.5 trillion on US arms contracts and bungs into Trump’s own pockets, thinking they had dissuaded America from attacking Ansar Allah (the Houthi movement) in Yemen.
The longer the war goes on, the greater the risk of the fire spreading throughout the supremely vulnerable oil and gas installations of the Gulf.
Israel has just attacked Iran’s installations at Fajr Jam Gas Refinery and South Pars gas field in Bushehr province. Iran replied by hitting the oil refineries around Haifa.
In Israel itself, a mood of euphoria at having wiped out Iranian military and nuclear leadership has quickly dissipated, as Iran has inflicted on parts of central Israel the sort of destruction Israel has visited on Gaza and Lebanon.
For the second night running, Israelis have been experiencing the sort of terror they have inflicted on their neighbours. They are quickly discovering what it is like to lose the impunity they have assumed was their birthright.
If Israel continues to be battered by Iranian missiles night after night, Netanyahu will increasingly think of how he can get the US directly involved in the war. [Continue reading…]
President Donald Trump said Sunday the United States is not involved in Israel’s military strikes against Iran, but “it’s possible we could get involved.”
That comes after reports that Israel had urged the U.S. to join the conflict with Iran to eliminate its nuclear program.
In an interview with ABC News’ Rachel Scott, Trump declined to comment on whether Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a personal plea for the U.S. to get more involved.
“We’re not involved in it. It’s possible we could get involved. But we are not at this moment involved,” the president said. [Continue reading…]