Iran President Upset That Israel Has Nukes and They Don't

NEW YORK — Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian took the stage at the United Nations General Assembly on Wednesday to express his deep, heartfelt sorrow that international atomic inspectors keep interrupting his country's totally peaceful, super-friendly uranium enrichment activities instead of harassing Israel.

Surrounded by suits, globalists, and the finest diplomatic catering taxpayers can buy, Pezeshkian complained to an audience of nodding bureaucrats that it is completely unfair for inspector clipboard-wielders to scrutinize Tehran. After all, they only need nuclear capabilities to keep their humble houses warm.

"The topic of this gathering is mutual trust. That cannot be achieved with words alone, but by abandoning double standards. Atomic and nuclear weapons are in the hands of the 'Israeli regime,' but the [IAEA] inspectors are requested to come to Iran," Pezeshkian whimpered, longing for a world where peaceful religious leaders can enrich weapons-grade material in absolute peace without pesky scrutiny. 

"Israel has the bombs, has the weapons of mass destruction. Not a member of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). During their shameful lives, they have not allowed a single inspection, but they are rewarded with all the means necessary to bomb any capital of the region at will," Pezeshkian added, visibly upset that the wrong Middle Eastern nation has global firepower.

He reassured the crowd that Iran's centrifuges are strictly for domestic enjoyment and green energy initiatives. 

"Our regional issues must be resolved in the region; no relationship with a foreign power can become the tool of threatening countries in the region," he explained. "For our country, peaceful nuclear technology is part of our progress..."Iran does not accept nuclear technology to be at the disposal of a handful...We will not bow our head, and we say it clearly. No nuclear weapons, and no limitations to our peaceful nuclear development."

The Iranian leader then expressed shock that anyone could possibly brand his regime as the bad guys. "Israel has murdered savagely over 70,000 civilians in Gaza, while Iran, behind the table of negotiation, was being bombed," he said. "Palestine remains an open wound on the conscience of the international community, and Gaza remains a visible symbol of the failure of international mechanisms to prevent civilian suffering...For decades, resolutions have been adopted, and occupation has continued. Lasting peace in West Asia is impossible without justice for Palestine. As long as occupation, aggression, and injustice persist in the world, resistance will continue. If it's weakened in one form, it will reemerge in others."

He praised the ongoing resilience of regional proxy groups. "Gaza, despite relentless killing and widespread destruction, has strengthened the people's will of resistance. This is human nature."

Turning his attention to the American delegation, Pezeshkian whined about President Donald Trump’s scathing Tuesday speech. 

"I had prepared a speech to present to you yesterday, when the US president described us as terrorists. We have been victims of terrorism. I come from an Iran where our supreme leader was assassinated without any legal reasons, where they bombed a school. The children perished under bombs with weapons used by Israel and the US; they had committed no crimes," Pezeshkian grumbled.

"The words of the US president yesterday show that those who are experts in international law, dialogue, diplomacy, and basic human standards know that everything uttered against our country goes against the charter of the UN... Trump must understand that Iran is ready for the way of dialogue and negotiation, without accepting the language of war," the weasel said, holding out a olive branch wrapped in ballistic missile blueprints.

"Those who are terrorists, and train, and protect terrorists, described us as terrorists. We are defending ourselves; we are not terrorists," he insisted. "We responded, but we didn't target civilians...The day I became president, they assassinated [Hamas leader] Ismail Haniyeh. They target any neighborhood, any province, in any place."

Pezeshkian finished his routine by painting Iran as a gentle, misunderstood lamb of the Middle East. "Are we the sources of instability? We only seek to live independently..."We don't want anything. We have received our response. We need strength, because a people that is not capable of defending itself will be trampled on," he said. "For the past 200 years, Iran has never attacked any territory. We have defended ourselves, but never attacked..."We do not seek power to attack or commit aggression; we seek energy for progress, not to threaten...The people of Iran have been in the last seven months in support of our homeland."

The President of the world's leading nation of terrorism added, "Iran must be powerful, so to avoid being threatened, to avoid its future being threatened...Our defensive systems are being built so that the bombing of Iranian cities doesn't go unanswered. We do not seek anyone's approval for our defense. We don't see our neighbors as security rivals. We want strong neighbors. But we can not let some gain access to our waterways and then use it to attack us."

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon was unimpressed by the performance, pointing out that Tehran's definition of "defense" usually involves funding chaos across four different countries. "This is the same regime that arms Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, Hamas in Gaza and Judea and Samaria, and the militias in Iraq," Danon said. "The same regime that murders its citizens when they dare to protest against it. Pezeshkian, your regime spreads terror. You are the last one who can preach to Israel and the US about morality."

Not to be outdone in the UN grievance competition, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa took his turn at the microphone to remind the world that the Golan Heights belongs to him.

"When land is usurped, when sanctity is violated, people suffer, and people pay the price," Sharaa declared. "With seven states, we started to destroy chemical weapons and worked with the IAEA to combat chemical and nuclear weapons. Syria went from being a crisis to an opportunity for many countries."

Sharaa assured the assembly that his government is built on law and order. "We have consolidated our values and the rule of law. Any attempts that violate our sovereignty will be stopped. [The] Golan [Heights] will remain Syrian territory," he pledged. "Any other attempts will be thwarted."

He concluded his remarks by asking the international community to politely tell Israel to stop firing back. "I ask our partners to abide by international law...The world is encouraged by our return, but Israel keeps attacking Syria," he said. "We will continue to serve our people; we will continue to serve god. God will always reward you for your actions... There have been 500 airstrikes, more than 1200 incursions, and 300 detentions. This is at odds with the orientation that we are seeing at a global level. It is reminiscent of an era that we thought was long gone. We are committed to the 1974 agreement; we call for the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the line of the 8 of December of 2024."

Romanian President Nicusor Dan briefly brought basic sanity back to the room, reminding the assembly that giving radical regimes weapons of mass destruction remains a terrible idea. "Iran must not possess a nuclear weapon. Iran must comply with the NPT, and must restore access to the IAEA," Dan said. "Romania will continue to provide maritime security and unrestricted navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and the Black Sea."

Finally, Argentine President Javier Milei stepped up to offer a rare display of common sense, explaining why his country prefers backing free nations over religious dictatorships.

Milei noted that Buenos Aires "aligned with the US and Israel because we share beliefs and a profound strategic affinity."

"That's why we condemned the attacks by the Iranian regime against Israel; we declared the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a foreign terrorist group, and we are still demanding justice for the two terror attacks against Argentine soil in 1992 and 1994," Milei stated, before delivering a parting shot to the diplomats in attendance.

The UN, Milei noted, "voted systematically against Israel, while they kept silent over Islamic extremism and the genocide of Christians in Africa."

At press time, UN delegates responded to the speeches by forming a sub-committee to draft a strongly worded resolution condemning Israel for existing.

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MI rabbi says he'll vote for Mike Rogers as local Jews worry about El-Sayed's anti-Semitism

In the heart of Michigan, a state long accustomed to the predictable rhythms of Democratic loyalty among its Jewish voters, a note of profound disquiet has begun to sound. 

Rabbi Asher Lopatin, an Orthodox rabbi who serves as director of community relations at the Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor, has announced that he will cast his ballot for the Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers in the November election. The decision, made in his personal capacity and not on behalf of the federation, stems from the Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed’s positions on Israel and his associations with blatant anti-Semites. 

Lopatin, who, like many uninformed or possibly suicidal liberals has typically voted Democratic, declared: “I’m going to vote for Mike Rogers,” adding, “I have concerns, but I have to do whatever I can to make sure this candidate, Abdul El-Sayed, does not win.” 

His choice comes amid a wider stirring among Jewish leaders in the Wolverine State who naively back Democrats, yet now find themselves contemplating support for Rogers and urging others to do likewise out of alarm over El-Sayed. 

The context is clear enough. El-Sayed narrowly defeated US Representative Haley Stevens by about one percentage point in the August 4 Democratic primary, setting the stage for a November contest against Rogers, a former congressman and the Republican nominee. 

El-Sayed, a Detroit-born physician and progressive former health director in the city, swiftly positioned himself as the most anti-Israel figure in the primary field. He has called for an end to US military support for Israel, accused the Jewish state of genocide [while not making much of what the Hamassholes did on Oct. 7, 2023] and apartheid, branded it a “rogue state,” and insisted that its government and the Hamas terrorist organization are both “evil.” 

He has questioned American support for Israel remaining a Jewish state, asserting that no interpretation of a Jewish state can be reconciled with liberal values. He has further claimed that the only reason a Democrat might support Israel is money, [a scummy anti-Semitic trope] and that it is impossible for a Democrat to back Israel while believing in “human rights.”

Such rhetoric has not gone unnoticed. Lopatin acknowledged the broader Democratic preoccupation with retaining control of the Senate and resisting the administration of President Donald Trump. “I’m sympathetic” to Democrats, he said, yet insisted that “someone like Abdul El-Sayed is unacceptable.” 

The rabbi reserved particular criticism for Senate Minority Leader Chuck "Nostrils" Schumer, a JINO, for endorsing El-Sayed despite these positions on Israel.

El-Sayed’s record includes further episodes that have deepened the unease. In March he hesitated to condemn a terrorist attack on a Michigan synagogue that involved an attempted mass killing of Jewish children. Reports indicated that in private meetings he voiced concern that condemnation might alienate potential voters sympathetic to Hezbollah, the Iran-backed terrorist group [and it's rumored he a fanboy of  Sheikh Naim Qassem and has a photo of the Hezbollah leader above his bed.]

He even hesitated making a comment on the US-Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in late February, citing support for Khamenei among some of his prospective constituents.

The candidate has campaigned alongside the execrable political streamer Hasan "Crapweasel" Piker, whose past remarks about Israel, Jews and terrorism have drawn widespread condemnation. El-Sayed made the political decision and has disavowed Piker’s claim that “America deserved 9/11,” but Lopatin maintains that the distancing has been inadequate. “He’s never disavowed Hasan’s anti-Semitism,” the rabbi said, referring to Piker’s comments about Orthodox Jews.

Rogers’s campaign has moved to capitalize on these concerns, launching a “Democrats for Mike Rogers” coalition to spotlight Democratic voters who say they cannot support El-Sayed. 

Lopatin appeared at the event and underscored that his decision marked a significant departure from his usual pattern. He suggested that the Democratic nominee should “recognize the State of Israel as a legitimate sovereign nation and not cavort with Hasan Piker, a known anti-Semite.” 

Of the Democratic Party he observed: “There should be a long list of things that concern them about him.” 

Earlier this week a group of Michigan Jewish leaders circulated an open letter urging the state’s Jewish population to support Rogers over El-Sayed. 

The letter stated: “If El-Sayed were to win the general election in this important swing state, we fear the far-left and anti-Jewish elements in the Democratic party would become dominant, including in the imminent 2028 presidential race. We cannot allow him to become the Democratic standard-bearer or Michigan’s senator.” 

Jews remain an overwhelmingly Democratic-leaning constituency. Yet the combination of rising anti-Semitism and El-Sayed’s evident antipathy toward Israel has led some to consider whether their traditional allegiance can endure. The Republican campaign is wagering that these anxieties will persuade enough habitual Democrats to cross party lines. 

Whether that calculation yields tangible results in November is far from certain, but the debate itself reveals a fracture that few would have anticipated only a short while ago.

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IDF seizes huge Iran terror axis arsenal but the fingerprints on them are damning

Israel’s capture of a vast arsenal from Iran’s terror proxies reveals an axis with the most unexpected originsAmong the weapons taken from Hezbollah was a Nazi-era MG-34 machine gunFox News Digital was granted rare access to the Israel Defense Forces’ Tzrifin Base in central Israel. There, stored in careful order, lies a formidable collection of rockets, grenades, drones, sniper rifles, automatic weapons, anti-tank rocket launchers, mortars and assorted firepower seized from Hezbollah and Hamas.

This arsenal, manufactured in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Russia, China, and by local workshops in Lebanon and Gaza, and even including a relic of the Nazi era, formed the machinery with which Hamas and Hezbollah waged war against Israeli civilians and the IDF after the October 7, 2023, massacre. 

The IDF notes that Hezbollah directed some of the same weapons against Lebanese civilians as well. Both groups belong to Iran’s so-called “axis of resistance.” Together they have killed more than 300 American citizens, according to available reports. 

At the height of the conflict Israel fought a multi-front war against Iran and its proxies. Tehran fired these weapons into civilian areas, including Tel Aviv and Be’ersheva. Days after the joint American-Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, the regime launched a ballistic missile into Beersheba, wounding 19 people.

To the untrained eye the small Nazi swastika emblem on a German Second World War MG-34 machine gun, recovered from a Hezbollah compound in Lebanon, is almost invisible. 

For Lieutenant Colonel (reserve) Idan Sharon-Kettler, commander of the IDF’s Captured Equipment Evacuation Unit, identifying such markings is routine. “The German MG-34 has the markings of an eagle carrying a swastika stamped on it,” he explained. The gun, he told Fox News Digital, appears to have served “propaganda or for morale” among the Iranian-backed terrorists in Lebanon. A second Nazi-era weapon, the MP 44 (also known as the StG 44), was likewise taken from Hezbollah.

Hamas and Hezbollah, both designated terrorist organizations by the United States, showed particular ingenuity in converting ordinary vehicles into instruments of high-intensity attack. Dual-use technology, equipment that serves civilian purposes one day and military ones the next, is their stock in trade. 

“Motorcycles like these took Israelis hostages,” Sharon-Kettler said, indicating an Egyptian Halawa Motors motorcycle captured inside Israel on 7 October. That day Hamas murdered more than 1,200 people, among them more than 40 American citizens, and abducted over 250 others. 

The IDF also recovered rockets belonging to Palestinian Islamic Jihad that had been employed as “propaganda dummies” in Gaza parades directed against Israel. From Hezbollah in Lebanon came all-terrain vehicles designed to carry rockets and fighters. One such ATV was fitted to hold six rockets complete with launchers. “You can sit on top of a hill and control a road that goes underneath. And with six anti-tank rockets you will stop almost any vehicle that passes,” Sharon-Kettler observed. 

In the broken, hilly terrain of southern Lebanon the vehicles offered obvious tactical advantages. 

Iranian-made mortars were found in quantity. “We found hundreds” in Lebanon, Sharon-Kettler said. Drones, including decoy models, were seized as well. Some of Hezbollah’s drones, according to Sharon-Kettler, exist chiefly “to make noise” and thereby “divert [IDF] resources.” 

Dozens of Iranian-produced cannons were taken from villages in southern Lebanon, the organization’s heartland. “In many houses the canons were pointing out of windows,” he reported. One of the captured pieces was of Russian manufacture. The storage halls also contain Russian AK-47 assault rifles in various configurations, together with more recent AK-103 and AK-104 models recovered in southern Lebanon. “Light sniper rifles, some made in Iran, some Russian, are very common with Hezbollah and Hamas,” Sharon-Kettler noted. 

Among the more unexpected finds was a highly decorated Turkish hunting rifle used by Hezbollah, as well as sophisticated Austrian Steyr sniper rifles, including the Steyr HS .50-calibre model. An Iranian-made replica of the Steyr was also displayed. Sub-machine guns of Chinese and Russian origin, and anti-tank launchers produced in Russia and Iran, completed the collection of small arms and support weapons.Uniforms manufactured in Syria, China and Lebanon, helmets, anti-shrapnel vests and medical kits further illustrate the professional and guerrilla equipment amassed by these groups. 

Both Hezbollah and Hamas embed their fighters among civilian populations, placing them inside residential neighborhoods, hospitals, schools and mosques. This is how these terrorists operate, but it seems the Left doesn't like to discuss this situation.

Sharon-Kettler offered a blunt assessment of Israel’s continued presence in Lebanon. “Even after the agreement we had with the Lebanese army and government, once we entered Lebanon again, we kept finding everything that is here. For me, it means, if we are not doing the work to clean Lebanon from military entities targeting are civilians, nobody else is doing that.” He referred to the November 2024 ceasefire arrangement between Lebanon and Israel that was meant to end the fighting begun when Hezbollah joined Hamas’s war on 8 October 2023.

A State Department official, speaking on background, recently informed Fox News that the American-led effort to secure the disarmament of Hezbollah by the Lebanese government and a phased withdrawal of IDF forces from southern Lebanon continues. The next round of talks is scheduled for early September in Rome. “We feel good about the trajectory,” the official said, adding, “We are not naive about the difficulties. . . "

Hezbollah, of course, is trying to sabotage the process.  

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House Passes Bipartisan Resolution To Throw Rashida Tlaib's Latest Anti-Israel Tantrum In The Congressional Trash

WASHINGTON—In a development so shocking it briefly caused Capitol Hill to malfunction like a government website on tax day, the House of Representatives actually accomplished something useful Tuesday. Democrats and Republicans united in rare harmony to take the anti-Semitic Rep. Rashida Tlaib's latest anti-Israel performance art piece, escort it gently but firmly to the nearest legislative Port-o-Potty, and set it on fire.

Tlaib's war powers resolution, aimed at handcuffing U.S. military involvement in Lebanon, went down in a solid bipartisan 235-189 vote. Twenty-two Democrats bravely jumped ship from the Michigan congresswoman, joining nearly every Republican in opposition. 

In Washington terms, that's the equivalent of the entire room agreeing the fire alarm isn't just another progressive policy proposal.

The measure would have banned U.S. forces from any "hostilities" in Lebanon, a pressing issue if America were, you know, actually fighting there. But facts remain stubbornly uncooperative with Tlaib's worldview, i.e., that the Jewish state needs to be eliminated.

One lonely Republican dissenter was the execrable Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky, whose foreign policy instincts continue to spin wildly like a compass next to an industrial magnet. Time to vote him out.

Michigan's premier anti-Israel activist cosplaying as a member of Congress tried to limit military authority in a nation where America isn't conducting combat operations. It's roughly as urgent as demanding emergency legislation to stop astronauts from invading Saskatchewan.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries and most Democrats voted to tie President Donald Trump's hands on using force in Lebanon without congressional permission. Of course, Jeffries had opposed an earlier version of Tlaib's scheme, proving once again that consistency in the Democratic Party is treated like an optional accessory, right next to "supporting the troops."

The whole thing was a concurrent resolution, carrying all the legal weight of a strongly worded Facebook post. Even if it passed, it would never have reached President Trump's desk for a signature, veto, or well-deserved eye-roll.

Tlaib, Congress's only Palestinian American member and Israel's most dedicated congressional tormentor, has spent years accusing the Jewish state of "ethnic cleansing" in Gaza and Lebanon. Republicans correctly note that her laser focus on condemning Israel while giving Hezbollah a rhetorical free pass amounts to providing comfort to an Iranian-backed terrorist outfit.

Strangely missing from Tlaib's resolution was any condemnation of Hezbollah, the terror group that has spent years rocketing Israeli civilians and turning southern Lebanon into its personal launchpad. Apparently the actual people firing rockets at school buses deserve less congressional attention than the country daring to defend itself.

Earlier this month, Tlaib pushed an even broader version that critics said could have forced U.S. personnel guarding the American Embassy to abandon their posts and crippled aid to the Lebanese Armed Forces fighting actual terrorists. Even by Washington standards, siding against the non-terrorist side is a special kind of genius.

After that flop, she rolled out a revised version with polite exemptions for diplomatic security and training Lebanese troops. Nothing says "principled stand" like frantically editing your legislation after everyone reads the first draft and recoils in horror.

Republicans rightly wondered why Congress was wasting time stopping a war America isn't fighting.

"There are not U.S. combat forces conducting operations or engaged in hostilities in Lebanon," House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast, (R-FL), said during debate. "They are training the Lebanese Armed Forces."

"Why are they training?" Mast continued. "Because there's probably at least 40,000, probably more, Hezbollah terrorists spread across the South of Lebanon that are actively engaged in targeting Israel and have been doing so for many years."

Brian Mast

Mast went further, correctly labeling supporters of the resolution as "proxies for Hezbollah," a remark unlikely to earn him a Christmas card from the Squad.

Ranking Member Gregory Meeks (D-NY), defended the pointless exercise by claiming it would prevent America from entering "another forever war that is not in our national interest."

A noble thought, if only the United States were actually in a war in Lebanon. Instead, Congress spent the afternoon solemnly debating how to stop a ghost from invading a house it never entered, while Hezbollah kept doing what it does best: trying to annihilate Israel and counting on enough useful idiots in Washington to stay distracted by imaginary American aggression. 

At least this time, sanity prevailed. Barely.

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Rubio and Vance Offer Competing Visions While White House Insists Everyone Is Singing From the Same Hymnal

For an administration that likes to remind everyone it's playing four-dimensional chess on the world stage, the Trump White House has found itself looking like a family trying to assemble IKEA furniture after losing the instructions. Everyone insists they're building the same bookshelf, but one guy is holding a hammer while another is convinced the leftover screws are decorative.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has spent the past week doing something that used to be considered a basic qualification for running American foreign policy: acknowledging that the Iranian regime is exactly what decades of history say it is. Vice President JD Vance, on the other hand, has been floating a more optimistic theory that suggests the mullahs are just one reconstruction package and a few friendly conversations away from becoming respectable neighbors. What has he been smoking?

The White House would like everyone to stop noticing.

Rubio has consistently defended Israel's campaign against Hezbollah for what any honest observer can see it is: a response to years of rocket attacks, terrorism, and the bizarre international expectation that Israelis should quietly absorb missiles because it makes European diplomats feel more comfortable and besides, Jews need to be annihilated because, you know, the Qur'an and stuff.

While visiting the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, and Bahrain, Rubio worked to reassure nervous allies following the preliminary U.S.-Iran agreement signed on June 17. Critics have questioned whether the deal hands Tehran far too much for far too little. Rubio answered those concerns with a sentence so grounded in reality that it almost sounded old fashioned.

"While we want a deal, we don't want a deal at any price," Rubio said.

Imagine that. A Secretary of State who remembers that negotiations are supposed to benefit America instead of serving as therapy sessions for hostile dictators.

That practical approach stands in pretty stark contrast to the messaging coming from the vice president.

Vance, on the other hand, has defended the agreement against Israeli criticism while arguing that Israeli strikes on Hezbollah infrastructure in Beirut could complicate American diplomacy. That assumes Hezbollah is simply misunderstood and that their biggest obstacle to peace is poor calendar coordination with U.S. negotiators rather than an obsessive commitment to wiping Israel off the map.

Does he know nothing about Islamic anti-Semitism?

The vice president has also spoken favorably about Gulf nations helping finance Iran's reconstruction and has entertained the possibility of a more cooperative relationship with the Islamic Republic. Apparently decades of hostage taking, proxy wars, terrorism, and "Death to America" chants are now considered minor misunderstandings that can be smoothed over with enough infrastructure spending. He needs to forget about running for POTUS in '28.

Then came Thursday's interview.

Vance revealed that Washington had invited an Iranian intelligence official to serve as a deconfliction liaison with the Pentagon in Qatar. That's one of those ideas that sounds like it came out of a brainstorming session where someone asked, "What's the foreign policy equivalent of letting the bank robber install the security cameras?"

Naturally, everyone in the administration insists there isn't even the slightest disagreement.

"There is one camp, President Trump's camp, and the entire administration is fully behind the president's efforts to ensure Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon," spokeswoman Anna Kelly said.

State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott dismissed reports of friction as a "tired and fake" narrative before adding, "The entire administration is 100% in lockstep behind President Trump."

Rubio offered the same assurance Thursday.

"Everyone here is aligned behind the president."

Maybe they are.

But from where everyone else is sitting, this doesn't look like perfect harmony. It looks like one side is reading Ronald Reagan while the other is speed-running Barack Obama's Middle East playbook. Both keep insisting they're singing the same song, but one sounds like "God Bless America" while the other is humming "Kumbaya" with the ayatollah.

If this really is one unified strategy, somebody might want to hand out the same script before the next press conference.

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Hezbollah Furious That Lebanon Might Stop Letting Hezbollah Run Lebanon

Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem is having a rough weekend. The terror group's secretary general blasted the newly signed Israel-Lebanon framework agreement as "null," a "humiliation," and an outrageous assault on the sacred tradition of heavily armed militias operating their own private state inside another state.

Apparently, nothing says "national sovereignty" quite like taking orders from Tehran while stockpiling rockets in civilian neighborhoods.

Speaking on Saturday, Qassem declared that any effort to tie Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon to Hezbollah giving up its arsenal crossed "all red lines." Translation: Israel is expected to leave, but Hezbollah is expected to keep enough missiles to redecorate northern Israel whenever the mood strikes.

“We say to the Lebanese authorities, it is time for you to retract your sins that are destroying Lebanon,” Qassem asserted.

That is certainly one way to describe the situation. Another would be to ask whether the organization that has dragged Lebanon into repeated wars, frightened away investors, and treated the country's sovereignty like an optional suggestion is perhaps looking in the wrong mirror.

The framework agreement, signed Friday by the United States, Israel, and Lebanon after days of negotiations in Washington, lays out a step by step plan to dismantle Hezbollah's terrorist infrastructure, disarm the group, and allow the IDF to withdraw from southern Lebanon as the threat disappears.

In other words, somebody finally proposed the radical idea that a country's army should be the country's army.

The agreement also calls for the United States to strengthen the Lebanese Armed Forces so the nation's military, instead of an Iranian proxy, can provide security within Lebanon.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised the deal, calling it “a major achievement for the State of Israel” in a public address.

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun welcomed the agreement as “the first step on the path to restoring Lebanon's sovereignty” in a post on X.

Qassem, meanwhile, appears to believe Lebanese sovereignty is best preserved by ensuring Hezbollah remains more heavily armed than the Lebanese government itself. It is a fascinating constitutional theory, albeit one that seems to exist nowhere outside the offices of Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

For years Hezbollah has insisted it is merely defending Lebanon. Now that someone has suggested Lebanon might defend itself, Hezbollah suddenly finds the proposal deeply offensive.

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JD Vance Announces New Side Hustle Selling Extended Warranty Plans For Iranian Regime

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Vice President JD Vance reportedly unveiled a groundbreaking new foreign policy doctrine this week in which America protects Iran from consequences, scolds Israel for noticing, and calls it peace.

According to administration officials, Vance has assumed the role of chief life insurance salesman for the world's most resilient theocracy, offering what critics describe as a platinum-level protection package for the Ayatollah and friends.

The agreement, allegedly negotiated from the comfort of a luxurious Swiss resort, would provide Tehran with enough economic assistance to ensure that every government official can continue enjoying the lifestyle to which they have become accustomed.

Witnesses say Vance sat across from representatives of the Islamic Republic and enthusiastically celebrated what supporters are calling "a bold new vision" and critics are calling "the geopolitical equivalent of giving your car keys to the guy who just stole your wallet."

At one point, Vance reportedly praised President Trump for his willingness to see "a Middle East that operates much differently ten years from now than it did ten years ago."

Analysts confirmed that this is technically true. So, instead of simple beheadings of those who 'insult' the religion of peace, they now will shoot or bomb their enemies if only they can get a nuke to do the job.

Under the proposed arrangement, Iran would receive sanctions relief, access to frozen assets, and a massive reconstruction fund in exchange for assurances that everything will probably work out fine.

Sources say administration officials became annoyed when skeptics demanded written guarantees.

Vance reportedly reassured reporters that spoken promises were sufficient, explaining that hostile revolutionary regimes are generally known for their strict commitment to honesty, transparency, and keeping their word. Um . . . duh.

Meanwhile, Israeli officials who expressed concern over the arrangement were reportedly invited to participate in a special diplomatic exercise known as "being lectured" by those who wish to kill them.

During one exchange, Vance allegedly instructed Israeli leaders to "wake up and smell the reality" while simultaneously reminding them who pays many of the bills.

Observers noted that this marked the first time in history that a nation fighting multiple Iranian-backed terrorist groups was informed that the real problem was its attitude.

The administration also expressed frustration that Israel continued targeting Hezbollah commanders instead of focusing on the more important task of helping diplomats meet quarterly peace process benchmarks.

According to sources, Hezbollah was relieved to learn that military realities would henceforth be subordinate to conference schedules.

Critics further objected when Israeli security officials warned that the agreement could leave Iran dangerously close to nuclear capability. But Vance reportedly dismissed such concerns as an "odd freakout" fueled by excessive worry.

Residents of Israel responded by apologizing for their irrational tendency to become nervous whenever a regime that repeatedly threatens their destruction gets access to billions of dollars. What could possibly go wrong for them?

Conservative commentator Mark Levin was among those criticizing the framework, arguing that it seemed strangely uninterested in the Iranian people themselves.

For years, Iranian dissidents have risked imprisonment, torture, and death to challenge the regime. Critics say the new approach instead rewards the government they oppose while offering freedom activists the traditional State Department package of strongly worded concern.

Experts describe the emerging strategy as one in which American foreign policy becomes dependent upon the continued stability and prosperity of the very regime it once identified as a threat.

Supporters insist this is realism. Critics insist it is appeasement.

The Cardboard gay Ayatollah reportedly insists it is working out great.

At press time, officials announced plans for a follow-up agreement in which North Korea receives a $200 billion democracy promotion grant in exchange for promising to think about behaving better someday.

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IDF takes over Hezbollah tunnel with all kinds of prizes

The discovery of yet another vast Hezbollah tunnel complex in southern Lebanon serves as a reminder of a reality that many in the international community prefer to ignore. While diplomats speak endlessly of ceasefires, resolutions, and understandings, Hezbollah has spent years doing something rather more concrete: preparing for war. 

[Source: The Jerusalem Post.]

On Sunday, the Israel Defense Forces announced that soldiers from the 91st Division's 551st Brigade had seized a massive Hezbollah tunnel in Majdal Zoun, roughly 10 kilometers inside southern Lebanon. The underground facility stretched some 200 meters in length and descended 25 meters below the surface. Most significantly, it contained four rocket-launching shafts that had been repeatedly used to target Israeli communities.

The tunnel's design highlights the sophistication of Hezbollah's military infrastructure. The launch shafts were reportedly difficult, if not impossible, to eliminate through airstrikes alone. By taking direct control of the site, Israeli forces were able to neutralize a threat that had been carefully concealed beneath the ground and beyond the reach of conventional aerial operations.

During the operation, the IDF said it killed 20 Hezbollah terrorists, including 10 members of the elite Radwan Force. Israeli troops also seized or destroyed approximately 50 pieces of terrorist infrastructure and weaponry, including drones, anti-tank missiles, munitions stockpiles, and observation posts.

Footage released by the military revealed a striking arsenal hidden beneath Lebanese soil, including large rockets capable of striking deep into Israeli territory. Additional video from the Yahalom special unit of the Combat Engineering Corps showed a labyrinthine complex consisting of 12 separate rooms and operational sections, underscoring the scale of Hezbollah's preparations.

It is difficult to reconcile such discoveries with the persistent fiction that Hezbollah is merely a political movement. No political party requires a subterranean military network complete with rocket-launching facilities, anti-tank weaponry, and specialized assault units. These are the tools of an organization preparing for conflict on a significant scale.

Meanwhile, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir visited troops in southern Lebanon and offered a blunt assessment of the current situation.

“The ceasefire that was announced is shaky, and we need to be ready with the highest preparedness to renew our military actions, and to thwart the threats, including quickly transitioning to go on the attack if required.”

“All of the IDF’s resources are dedicated to this,” he added.

Zamir's remarks reflect a lesson Israel learned at immense cost on October 7. The belief that hostile forces can be deterred indefinitely while they continue to arm themselves, entrench themselves, and prepare for war has proven disastrously false.

According to Zamir, Israeli forces have succeeded in placing Hezbollah on the defensive not only around Majdal Zoun but also in strategically significant areas such as Ali Taher Ridge and Beaufort Castle, where additional tunnel networks and terrorist infrastructure have been targeted.

He also praised the soldiers of the 401st Armored Brigade, which has suffered the loss of several senior commanders in recent months, for maintaining operational readiness across multiple fronts.

The broader significance of the operation extends beyond the destruction of a single tunnel. Every such discovery exposes the enormous discrepancy between Hezbollah's public posture and its actual conduct. While international actors repeatedly urge restraint upon Israel, Hezbollah continues to invest extraordinary resources into military fortifications, offensive capabilities, and preparations for future conflict.

The question is not why Israel continues to dismantle such infrastructure. The more pressing question is why the existence of these elaborate networks continues to surprise anyone.

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Hezbollah Shatters Ceasefire Within Hours, Confirming the Nature of the Conflict

There are moments in the Middle East when reality cuts through diplomatic fantasy with remarkable speed. The latest ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah appears to be one of them.

Less than a day after a ceasefire agreement was announced, Hezbollah launched more than 50 projectiles at Israeli Defense Forces personnel operating in southern Lebanon. According to the IDF, the attack constituted a "blatant ceasefire violation," exposing once again the gulf between international hopes for peace and the conduct of an Iranian-backed terrorist organization that has repeatedly demonstrated its contempt for such agreements.

Israel responded by targeting Hezbollah operatives and infrastructure throughout southern Lebanon, including rocket launch positions, weapons depots, and command centers. The IDF emphasized that it remains committed to the ceasefire while making clear that it will continue to "remove any threat posed to the State of Israel and IDF soldiers."

The episode raises an obvious question that far too many observers continue to avoid: what exactly is a ceasefire worth when one side regards it as a tactical inconvenience rather than a binding commitment?

Israel's Arabic-language military spokesperson, Col. Ella Waweya, stated that calm could be restored if Hezbollah ceased its hostile activities and stopped violating existing agreements. She noted that Israel's security presence in southern Lebanon is intended to dismantle terrorist infrastructure and eliminate threats to Israeli citizens, not to target civilians.

Yet Hezbollah's own statements leave little room for ambiguity. Earlier Saturday, the organization acknowledged targeting Israeli soldiers and declared that it would "not hesitate to confront any attempt by Israel to seize land in Lebanon" despite claiming a continued "commitment to the ceasefire."

The contradiction is revealing. One cannot simultaneously violate a ceasefire and profess fidelity to it. Yet this sort of doublethink has become commonplace among groups that understand that much of the international community is willing to overlook actions that would be condemned without hesitation if carried out by a democratic state.

A senior Hezbollah official told Reuters that the group would not allow Israel "freedom of movement" in what it described as "occupied Lebanese territory." Such rhetoric is familiar. It serves not as a path toward stability but as a justification for perpetual confrontation.

Meanwhile, the Lebanese Army accused Israel of carrying out "brutal attacks" designed to prevent stability from returning to Lebanon. The statement, posted on social media, claimed Israeli operations had caused casualties, property damage, and the death of a Lebanese soldier.

This narrative has become equally familiar. Hezbollah launches attacks. Israel responds. International attention then shifts rapidly from the original act of aggression to criticism of the Israeli response. The sequence repeats so often that many observers no longer seem to notice it.

Lebanon's state news agency reported that at least ten people were killed in Sidon following Israeli airstrikes targeting multiple sites in southern Lebanon. As always in such conflicts, the human cost is tragic, yet any serious discussion of that cost must begin with the organization that chose to violate a ceasefire almost immediately after it took effect.

The broader regional implications are equally concerning. Iranian officials reportedly linked their decision to close the Strait of Hormuz to developments in Lebanon, while Iran's General Staff threatened missile strikes against Israel if what it called Israeli "aggression against Lebanon continues."

Such threats underscore the reality that Hezbollah is not merely a local Lebanese actor. It remains a central component of Iran's regional strategy, operating as an extension of Tehran's influence and military ambitions.

The ceasefire itself had only just been announced. An Israeli source confirmed that an agreement had been reached between Israel and Hezbollah, while a senior American official told Reuters that the arrangement would take effect Friday afternoon. According to reports, American and Qatari negotiators helped broker the deal with assistance from Iran.

Whether that agreement survives Hezbollah's actions is now an open question.

What is not in question is the lesson once again provided by events on the ground. Peace agreements can be signed in conference rooms, celebrated in diplomatic circles, and praised by international mediators. But they remain meaningless if one side views them as optional.

As an IDF spokesperson observed Friday, "Recent events have made one thing clear: IDF soldiers must stand between Hezbollah and Israeli civilians."

The events of the past twenty-four hours have done little to challenge that assessment.

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Internal Security Minister says "All of Lebanon must burn" after 4 IDF soldiers killed

Ben-Gvir wears a hangman's noose pin to back the Death to Terrorists bill,
Monday, December 8, 2025 (Otzma Yehudit)

The death of four Israeli soldiers in southern Lebanon on Friday has once again exposed a widening divide between those who must confront the realities of war and those who prefer to theorize about it from a safe distance . . . like most politicians and pundits do.

Among the dead was Lt. Col. Dor Ben Simhon, commander of Battalion 52, along with three of his soldiers. Their deaths came after an attack by Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed terrorist organization that has spent decades embedding itself within Lebanon while threatening Israel's northern border. 

Lt. Col. Ben Simhon

According to the Israel Defense Forces, the battalion commander's tank was struck shortly after midnight. Military investigators are still determining whether the attack involved an explosive device or a drone launched by Hezbollah operatives.

The losses prompted a furious response from National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who correctly argued that Israel's enemies must be made to understand the consequences of attacking the Jewish state.

"With all due respect to the Americans, Israel must make it clear to the entire world that the blood of our sons and the security of our citizens are not up for bargaining. All of Lebanon must burn," Ben-Gvir said.

His remarks arrived at a particularly sensitive moment. Senior American officials have increasingly expressed frustration with Israel's continued military operations to defend itself. Israel is, of course, opposed to the MoU signed by President Trump on Wednesday that pretends to bring an end to the conflict with Iran, a country that hopes to bring back the 12th imam and totally annihilate Israel and Jews worldwide.

One provision of the MoU extends the ceasefire to Lebanon, a condition that many Israeli officials regard with deep skepticism, knowing the 12th imam thingy and that anti-Semitism situation.

Their concern is totally rational. 

Hezbollah remains heavily armed, deeply entrenched, and openly committed to Israel's destruction. To many Israelis, any arrangement that leaves that reality fundamentally unchanged appears less like a peace agreement than a temporary pause, as anyone with a functioning cortex would agree with.

Yet in an interview with The New York Times, Vice President JD Vance appeared dismissive of such concerns.

"There is this weird panic almost in the Israeli system that I've picked up on, where they assume that everything that is contemplated that is good for Iran will happen, but that will happen without the Iranians changing any behavior. And I just don't know why anybody would think that's true," Vance, who is not a Jew nor lives in Israel said.

It is a curious observation. After all, modern Israeli skepticism did not emerge in a vacuum. It was shaped by decades of experience with adversaries who routinely violated agreements, exploited ceasefires, and treated diplomatic concessions as opportunities for strategic regrouping. What some observers characterize as panic, others might call memory.

Vance acknowledged that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not publicly criticized the memorandum but pointed to figures such as Ben-Gvir who had done so.

"It's clear that large segments of the Israeli political system and population are very sensitive about this deal," he said. "But I also think they're picking up on some misinformation about the deal and running with it and sort of panicking about it."

The vice president then offered a challenge to Israeli critics.

"I guess my response to them would be: What is your exact proposal? You're a country of nine million people. You can't just kill your way out of solving every single national security problem that you have."

The question is fair enough. Yet it is equally fair to ask what alternatives are available when a neighboring terrorist army repeatedly attacks your citizens while openly declaring its intention to destroy your country. Nations do not choose the threats they face. They must deal with the threats that actually exist.

President Trump also voiced dissatisfaction with Israel's conduct in Lebanon during the G7 conference. After all, the terrorists crossed their hearts and promised to never kill anyone anymore.

"We have a little dispute over Lebanon," Trump told reporters. "I say, 'You can do a little softer touch, Bibi. You don't have to knock down a building every time somebody walks into it that's from Hezbollah.'"

Such comments reflect a familiar tension in Western policymaking. Leaders far from the battlefield understandably desire restraint and stability. Those living within range of Hezbollah rockets tend to place a higher premium on security, unlike politicians. The challenge, as always, is that while diplomatic agreements can be signed in conference rooms, the consequences of failure are paid for on the front lines.

For Israel, the deaths of Lt. Col. Ben Shimhon and his fellow soldiers serve as a stark reminder that Hezbollah remains a lethal threat. Any discussion of ceasefires, memorandums, or regional diplomacy must begin with that reality rather than attempt to wish it away.

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Trump Nears Iran Deal As Hezbollah, Israel, And Reality Itself Complicate Things

President Trump is once again finding out that trying to bring peace to the Middle East is a little like herding cats or refereeing a bar fight where everyone has missiles and a theological grudge dating back 3,000 years.

On Sunday, Trump publicly warned Israel and Iran not to torpedo what he insists is an almost-finished peace agreement after Israel lit up Hezbollah targets in Beirut, because apparently nobody in that region can go 48 consecutive hours without setting something on fire or blowing something up.

“We are very close to a Deal that will bring peace to the region,” Trump posted on social media, before adding the kind of thing every exhausted parent has yelled from the front seat during a family road trip: “Let’s not blow it!”

Please let us not pretend that any so called peace deal will last very long when Islamic scripture [in this case, the Hadith] demands the killing of Jews:

Sahih al-Bukhari 2926 (Narrated by Abu Huraira):
"Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'The Hour will not be established until you fight with the Jews, and the stone behind which a Jew will be hiding will say, "O Muslim! There is a Jew hiding behind me, so kill him."'"
Sahih Muslim 2922 (also narrated by Abu Huraira):
"The last hour would not come unless the Muslims will fight against the Jews and the Muslims would kill them until the Jews would hide themselves behind a stone or a tree and a stone or a tree would say: 'O Muslim, or the servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me; come and kill him'; but the tree Gharqad would not say, for it is the tree of the Jews."

Smoke rose over Beirut after Israeli strikes reportedly hit Hezbollah infrastructure in the southern suburbs. Lebanon’s Civil Defense said workers pulled three bodies and six wounded people from the rubble, which is generally not the visual diplomats hope for while trying to finalize a peace agreement.

Naturally, Iran responded with threats, because Tehran treats military retaliation the way normal countries treat strongly worded press releases.

The emerging deal has reportedly left Israel less than thrilled. Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has been largely sidelined while Pakistan and other regional players helped move negotiations forward, which probably feels to the Israelis like being forced to watch strangers remodel your house while assuring you they definitely know where the load-bearing walls are.

Trump, who previously suggested the agreement could be signed Sunday, has reportedly been leaning hard on Netanyahu to cool things down in Lebanon while negotiations continue. Netanyahu, being Netanyahu, appears to have treated that advice the same way most people treat the “terms and conditions” page on a software update.

Following the Beirut strike, Trump spoke with Netanyahu and made it clear he was not exactly delighted with the timing and it made him look bad.

According to Axios and Fox News interviews, Trump directly questioned the Israeli prime minister about the operation after Israel said it struck Hezbollah targets in response to drone launches aimed at northern Israel.

The Israeli military claimed Hezbollah launched three projectiles and released footage showing smoke rising after impacts. Hezbollah, meanwhile, maintained its long-standing media strategy of saying absolutely nothing until everybody else has already spent twelve hours arguing online.

“It shook it up,” Trump said of the strike’s effect on negotiations, adding that the agreement’s signing was delayed several hours but remained on track.

That sentence pretty much sums up Middle East diplomacy in 2026: everyone agrees peace is close right before somebody launches explosives into a neighboring country.

Israel defended the strikes as necessary retaliation. “Israel will not tolerate firing into its territory,” Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.

Fair enough. That is generally how sovereign nations operate.

Meanwhile, civilians in Beirut’s southern suburbs were once again seen fleeing damaged neighborhoods after briefly enjoying what passed for “calm” in the region, which usually means only a few rockets a week instead of dozens.

The current conflict spiraled after Hezbollah fired missiles into Israel on March 2, shortly after the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Since then, Israeli forces have pushed deeper into Lebanon than at any point in more than twenty-five years, which is the sort of escalation diplomats politely call “concerning” while privately stress-eating antacids.

Iranian officials reacted exactly the way you’d expect Iranian officials to react.

Parliamentary Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf warned on X that “if you lack the will and ability to fulfill your commitments, speaking of continuing the path is not possible.”

Translation: everybody keeps threatening peace while simultaneously threatening each other.

Gen. Mohammad Jafar Asadi added, “Without a doubt, these crimes will not go unanswered,” proving once again that no Middle Eastern conflict is complete without at least one official statement that sounds like it was generated by an angry action movie trailer narrator.

Qatari mediators reportedly traveled to Tehran Sunday to help finalize the agreement. Regional officials cautiously suggested the U.S. and Iran might actually be approaching a framework capable of halting hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which global markets would appreciate very much because investors tend to dislike shipping lanes turning into active war zones.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the agreement could be signed Sunday, while Iranian officials suggested it may happen within days. Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen immediately after signing.

The deal itself appears less like a grand peace treaty and more like the diplomatic equivalent of duct tape holding together a leaking garden hose. It reportedly creates a sixty-day framework for further discussions on Iran’s nuclear program, missile capabilities, frozen assets, and regional proxy activity, which means the hardest issues are essentially being postponed until later.

Under the current framework, the U.S. and Israel appear to have fallen well short of their original objectives of dismantling Iran’s nuclear and missile programs entirely. Critics have noticed this small detail.

Trump attempted to reassure skeptics Saturday by posting that once things calm down, the U.S. would “downblend and destroy” Iran’s enriched uranium either inside Iran or in the United States.

That may prove more complicated than posting it on social media.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran possesses roughly 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity, which is alarmingly close to weapons-grade material. Iran continues insisting its nuclear program is peaceful, which ranks somewhere alongside “the stripper really likes me” on the list of claims that should probably invite further scrutiny.

Republican critics of the deal have already started circling. Some argue the agreement barely improves on the 2015 Obama-era nuclear deal that Trump himself withdrew from during his first term because he repeatedly called it “bad.”

Now Trump finds himself in the awkward position every president eventually reaches in foreign policy: discovering that campaign slogans are much easier than negotiating with regimes that sponsor armed militias while enriching uranium underground.

Still, if Trump somehow manages to keep Israel, Iran, Hezbollah, Pakistan, Qatar, global oil markets, and congressional Republicans from simultaneously detonating this agreement before the ink dries, it may qualify as the first genuine miracle the Middle East has seen in decades.

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