While critics across the political spectrum questioned his apparent willingness to negotiate with Iran, Trump was never genuinely pursuing a return to the failed JCPOA framework that he had consistently condemned as the worst deal in American history. Instead, the President was executing a sophisticated strategy that would ultimately allow Israel to neutralize Iran’s nuclear capabilities while keeping American forces entirely out of harm’s way.
The brilliance of Trump’s approach becomes evident when examining the coordination between the United States and Israel throughout this operation. When asked by the Wall Street Journal whether Israel had given him advance notice of their strikes, Trump’s response was revealing: “Heads-up? It wasn’t a heads-up. It was, ‘We know what’s going on.'” This suggests a level of coordination far beyond simple consultation, indicating that the United States was not merely informed about Israeli operations but was actively involved in their planning and execution.
The apparent negotiations led by Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, served a crucial strategic purpose in this elaborate plan. Rather than genuine diplomatic outreach, these talks appear to have been part of a sophisticated disinformation campaign designed to lull Iran into a false sense of security. By maintaining the facade of potential negotiations, the administration successfully kept Iranian leadership off guard while Israel prepared for its devastating strikes.
Trump’s public statements throughout this period demonstrate the classic “peace through strength” doctrine that has defined his foreign policy approach. His warnings to Iran were both explicit and prophetic. In his initial statement, Trump declared that he had given Iran “chance after chance to make a deal,” warning them that rejection would result in consequences “much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told.” He emphasized America’s superior military technology and Israel’s access to and proficiency with these weapons systems.
The President’s ultimatum was clear and time-bound. Two months before Israel’s strikes, Trump had given Iran a 60-day deadline to reach an agreement. When that deadline passed without Iranian compliance, the consequences were swift and devastating. Trump’s follow-up statement was unambiguous: “Two months ago I gave Iran a 60-day ultimatum to ‘make a deal.’ They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there.”
This approach exemplifies Trump’s foreign policy philosophy of providing clear choices to adversaries while maintaining the credible threat of overwhelming force. Iran was given every opportunity to avoid conflict through diplomatic means, but their intransigence led to the inevitable military consequences that Trump had explicitly warned about.
The operation also demonstrates the effectiveness of Trump’s approach to alliance management. Rather than micromanaging Israeli decision-making as previous administrations had done, Trump provided Israel with the strategic space and advanced weaponry necessary to act independently in America’s shared interests. This model of alliance partnership maximizes results while minimizing direct American involvement and risk.
The Victory Coalition and Israel 365 Action will jointly co-sponsor an emergency briefing on the latest developments in the multifront war thrust upon Israel on October 7, 2023. Top experts will address two time-sensitive topics: 1) the unfolding warfare between the Jewish State and Iran, and 2) the just-postponed UN-sponsored meeting in New York aimed at promoting the clearly overtaken-by-events notion of a Palestinian State.
A distinguished panel of American and Israeli experts will examine the circumstances that catalyzed Israel’s devastating, and ongoing, waves of attacks on the Iranian leadership, its covert nuclear weapons program, other infrastructure, the likely strategic and political effects of the preemptive defensive campaign, to date, and its prospects.
They will also assess the obvious problems with another facet of the multifront war being waged against Israel: a diplomatic offensive aimed at advancing international recognition of a state called Palestine.
For one thing, no such state currently exists. For another, the creation of such a state is, by treaty, a matter for negotiation and agreement by Israel and Palestinian representatives, which have not taken place. And, in particular, there is by no means any shared understanding, let alone accord concerning, the practical, logistical and most especially security implications of such a state. The current conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, to say nothing of Israel’s death-struggle with the latter’s patrons in Tehran, makes any such arrangement all the more strategically ill-advised and unacceptable.
What: A Virtual Joint Emergency Briefing on Israel’s Multifront War. Register to participate at VictoryCo.org
When: 2-3:30 p.m. ET on Monday, June 16th
Co-Moderators:
Frank Gaffney, President, Institute for the American Future; Member, Victory Coalition; host, “Securing America”
Rabbi Pesach Wolicki, Executive Director, Israel365 Action; columnist, Jerusalem Post; co-host, “Shoulder-to-Shoulder” podcast
Panelists:
Hon. Ohad Tal, Member of Knesset; Member, Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee
Kenneth Abramowitz, President, Citizens for National Security; founder, SavetheWest.com
Robert Spencer, Author, The Palestinian Delusion: The Catastrophic History of the Middle East Peace Process, Director, Jihad Watch
Amb. Yoram Ettinger, Former Minister for Congressional Affairs, Embassy of Israel to the United States; Editor, The Ettinger Report
Daniel Greenfield, President, David Horowitz Freedom Center; author, Domestic Enemies: The Founding Fathers’ Fight Against the Left
Itamar Marcus, Director, Palestinian Media Watch; author, Deception: Betraying the Peace Process”
Dr. David Wurmser, PhD, Former Middle East Advisor to the Vice President and the National Security Advisor; Director, Middle East Program, Center for Security Policy; naval intelligence veteran
Co-sponsors:
The Victory Coalition’s mission is to focus on the need for victory over those determined to impose Sharia, whether by violent jihad or the stealthy, subversive kind, on Americans here at home and on their friends and allies in the Middle East and beyond.
Israel365 Action is a fearless advocacy movement standing unapologetically for the Jewish people’s God-given right to the entire land of Israel. We will never surrender Judea & Samaria – the biblical heartland of the Jewish people – and we boldly confront Israel’s enemies wherever they operate.
- Israel
- Iran
- Israel Iran War
- Obama Iran deal
- Steve Witcoff
- JCPOA
- Trump foreign policy
- Trump diplomacy
- Peace through strength
- Israel air strikes
- Palestinian State
- Hamas
- Victory Coalition
