Fox News screaming desperately into wind as Trump loses grip

The popular rightwing network spent months building a case for the Iran War. Now they are invested in keeping up support, even if hosts have to skirt the truth

Nolan Denaro

Aug 03, 2026

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/iran-war-fox-news/

Fox News has always served as a purveyor of Republican war propaganda, but its coverage of the Iran conflict has been particularly aggressive, and in many ways unmoored from reality, giving their viewers a more than skewed vision of what President Donald Trump can — and cannot — accomplish in Iran today.

It appears that it has been an editorial decision at Fox to convince their audience (whose median age is 55) that the Iranians cannot be negotiated with nor trusted and that war was — and still is — the only option. Its range of hosts and guests continue to insist that Trump’s military campaign has been a rousing success (by all independent, observable accounts it has not) and he just needs to finish the job.

Of course this a bit of a far cry from the decisive regime change narrative that Fox had generated in the lead-up to the war.

Mark Levin, one of Trump’s favorite hosts on the channel, has been a leading champion of this narrative, saying for weeks before the February war on his Fox show “Life, Liberty & Levin,” that “if we don’t act, and by that I mean not diplomacy, but decisively, quickly, and overwhelmingly with our military against the top of the regime,” then Iran will certainly, according to Levin, “build nuclear weapons, as North Korea has.” Levin also warned his audience that Iran “will not hesitate to launch ICBMs with nuclear warheads against our cities.”

Trump made it a point to post these kinds of arguments from Levin and others on Truth Social, prepping the Fox News audience, and the American people more broadly, for war.

After the conflict began, longtime host Laura Ingraham reframed the conflict using a classic neoconservative spin. “The real debate here… is not between the interventionists and the isolationists, or even between Trump and some elements of his base,” Ingraham said, “The real conflict here is between those who believe America is good, and those who believe fundamentally America is corrupt and evil.”

This of course is a warmed-over strawman seeking to chill any debate over the war, and encouraging the Fox audience to label anyone who opposes Trump’s actions as “anti-American.”

As military force failed to meet Trump’s vacillating objectives, Fox’s hosts remained unfazed. Confident as ever, Jesse Watters stated on March 25 that the Iranians were “running out of time and firepower.” In an effort to convince his audience of imminent regime collapse, Watters also said that, “every day that our bombers fly unchallenged, the regime loses power.”

Of course time is not on our side. The regime is still in power but the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is now dangerously low, and the same goes for U.S. stockpiles of defensive missile systems. Meanwhile, the first and most intense stage of fighting did little to deplete Iran’s arsenal of ballistic missiles and drones.

Touted as Fox’s wisest military mind, Gen. Jack Keane is a key fixture of the network's war coverage. He, like Levin, says that the Iranians are too irrational for diplomacy. In a recent appearance on “Life, Liberty & Levin,” Gen. Keane said, “We have said on this show multiple times, you cannot trust the Iranians. They will lie and cheat. And even if they make a deal… they will not comply with it.”

Now he is on Fox as recently as this weekend suggesting Trump was within range of victory when he paused fighting for the MOU (memorandum of understand) of which he said the Iranians did not comply. He said on July 29 that the U.S. must engage in a "comprehensive" military attack on Iran, focusing on civilian infrastructure like bridges and roads and airports, "isolating" it while the CIA and Mossad can help the people there overthrow the regime.

The network creates an echo chamber by bringing on guests to repeat and validate the hawkish positions of the hosts. Maria Bartiromo hosted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a softball interview on July 26, in which she asked him what it would take for the war with Iran to conclude. The prime minister urged Americans to support another round of fighting, arguing that only regime change will stop Iran from “wreaking economic chaos through the world, murdering thousands of its own citizens, and shooting at everyone.”

“This is what this regime is doing when they don’t have nuclear weapons, so imagine what they would do if they had nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu told Fox News viewers.

Marc Thiessen — a prominent neoconservative, Bush administration alum, and Fox News contributor — is another voice in favor of escalation. Throughout the war, Thiessen, a former “never-Trumper,” has appealed to the MAGA base by painting attractive pictures of “simple” ways to win the war.

On a July 23 episode of “Special Report,” Thiessen said, “It’s very simple… We have about 14 days of combat where we have to take out all the targets we have available. We took out 85% of their defense industrial base, [so now] we take out 95% of it. We set back all their programs, and we further entomb the nuclear dust, then we stop major combat operations, we impose the blockade, we open up the Strait of Hormuz, and then we go and we help the Iranian people overthrow their regime.”

The network’s morning show “Fox & Friends,” offers Today Show-sized breakfast bites for war coverage. Recently, the program featured pro-Israel radio host Sid Rosenberg. He made the case that military action was the only path forward, saying, “it is inevitable that President Trump is going to have to do what he doesn't want to do, which is go in there with this massive, all-out attack. There’s no other way to stop this,” Rosenberg said, “Once you start this,” he added, “there needs to be a finish, and the only finish is complete surrender by the Iranians. I hate to say it, but complete annihilation."

The round-the-clock warmongering on Fox News has done little to move the general public, aside from a percentage of older Republican die-hards. But the network's role as a source of validation for the president could give him the confidence to escalate.

If Fox News expresses support for any and all military actions Trump takes, he could well conclude that the public as a whole is supportive of his war – a devastating miscalculation, likely to be followed by ill-advised policy decisions.

Full text: 15-point draft peace plan between Hamas and Israel in Gaza

The Palestinian movement says it will relinquish its weapons to allow for a technocratic administration to run Gaza

MEE staff

Published date: 31 July 2026

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/full-text-15-point-draft-peace-plan-between-hamas-and-israel-gaza

Hamas has formally agreed to a detailed framework for implementing the next phases of the Gaza ceasefire, which was drafted with US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace.

The agreement forms part of the latest attempt to end Israel's campaign of killing in the besieged Palestinian territory.

In a statement on X, the Board of Peace wrote:

"The agreement concludes months of intensive, good faith negotiations to advance President Donald J. Trump's vision for establishing new governance, security, humanitarian relief, reconstruction, and economic recovery in Gaza as set out in the Comprehensive Peace Plan and U.N. Security Council Resolution 2803." 

The statement described the decision as a "historic breakthrough", adding that Hamas would disarm before the Israeli army withdrew from Gaza.

Israel has killed more than 73,000 people during its genocide so far, with thousands more missing and presumed dead. It has reduced the enclave, home to nearly 2 million people, to rubble - with around 90 percent of the population displaced and most living in crowded tents without sanitation. 

Middle East Eye has obtained a draft of the agreement that Hamas agreed to and is publishing an English translation of the Arabic here in full.

A comprehensive strategy for the full implementation of President Trump's peace plan for Gaza, 30th July

Principles

1. All parties reaffirm their commitment to President Trump's comprehensive plan to achieve peace in Gaza, which, along with UN Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025), constitutes the internationally agreed-upon framework that shall guide the implementation of this process. Through this process, the parties aim to end the cycle of destruction, secure the full Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip, restore normal life, enable Palestinian governance, advance reconstruction, security, recovery and economic development, rehabilitation of affected sectors, and facilitate the launch of a credible political path that achieves self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

2. Israel will complete the implementation of all remaining obligations under the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum in full and without delay, specifically the cessation of military operations as detailed in Annex (1). Hamas and the Palestinian factions will likewise complete the cessation of all military operations in accordance with the Sharm el-Sheikh Memorandum and the peace plan. In parallel, the timeline and implementation mechanisms attached to ("Implementation of Phase Two") will be prepared within 14 days, subject to extension by a decision of the International Verification Committee following the approval of the plan by all parties. As soon as the timeline and implementation mechanisms have been finalised, the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG) will enter the Strip and begin carrying out its duties. ​An International Verification Committee - established by the Board of Peace and composed of representatives of the guarantors, the Board of Peace, and the International Stabilisation Force - will certify that both parties have fulfilled their obligations under the agreed strategy before proceeding to the implementation of Phase Two.

3. The transition from one phase to the next will be contingent upon the verified completion of the previous phase's obligations. This will be certified by the International Verification Committee, which will monitor any violations by either party through enhanced monitoring mechanisms.

4. Hamas and the other factions agree to hand over all civil and security governance functions in Gaza to the National Committee, in alignment with President Trump’s comprehensive peace plan for Gaza. They further affirm that the National Committee will operate with full independence in fulfilling its mandates and that the factions will refrain from interfering in the committee’s affairs during the transitional period, pursuant to UN Security Council Resolution 2803 (2025).

5. Upon taking full responsibility in Gaza, the National Committee will ensure the continuity of civil institutions and public services. All public employees will be treated fairly, legally, and with dignity regarding their rights. Those whose services are terminated or who are retired during the transitional period will be granted their entitlements in accordance with Palestinian law. With international support, the National Committee shall conduct a comprehensive audit of the financial and administrative situation in Gaza, while safeguarding and restoring the management of public resources and assets. The National Committee shall assess and address legitimate commitments to suppliers, contractors, and other parties, not exceeding a total of $400m. These measures shall be implemented gradually, within three years, according to priorities determined by the National Committee. Any unresolved rights, liabilities, or financial claims shall be addressed later within the context of a broader national process, in accordance with relevant Palestinian law.

Security

6. Gaza will be governed according to the principle of "one authority, one law, one weapon." The National Committee will operate in alignment with Palestinian laws, relevant international standards, and the principles of good governance.

7. Newly trained police personnel will be integrated into existing police structures. All police personnel shall undergo comprehensive vetting. Those who do not meet the required vetting standards will be offered alternative civil roles consistent with their previous expertise or will be retired in accordance with Palestinian law. None of these individuals will be deprived of their financial entitlements, specifically due to their political affiliations. All police weaponry will be transferred to the responsibility and authority of the National Committee upon its entry into Gaza and the commencement of its duties.

8. A process for inventorying and storing heavy weapons, military production sites, weapons depots, and tunnels shall commence following the completion of the remaining obligations under the Sharm el-Sheikh Protocol, the entry of the National Committee, and the deployment of the International Stabilisation Force. This process will be managed and implemented by the National Committee in a gradual, sequential, and time-bound manner, based on an implementation schedule to be finalised within 14 days, subject to extension upon a decision of the International Verification Committee following the approval of all parties to the strategy. This process is linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal from the areas it controls in Gaza and the inventorying of weapons held by armed militias in accordance with section 10 of this plan. The process will be monitored and verified by the International Verification Committee, with support from the International Stabilisation Force. Palestinian factions will participate in this process, and no weapons will be transferred or surrendered to Israel or any non-Palestinian parties. At the conclusion of the process outlined in sections seven to 10 of this plan, the National Committee alone shall retain, store, or control weapons in Gaza. The implementation of this plan, including the issue of weapons and the other provisions of the comprehensive peace plan, shall create the appropriate conditions for a credible path towards achieving Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state.

9. Personal weapons in Gaza shall be subject to the provisions of relevant Palestinian laws. The National Committee, as the transitional authority in Gaza, shall be the sole authority for registering weapons, issuing and revoking licenses, and enforcing the law, including through reintegration and social support. All factions, clans, and elements of Palestinian society in Gaza shall cooperate with the National Committee in this process.

10. The inventory/collection of militia weapons and their storage under the authority of the National Committee shall take place according to an agreed-upon timeline. Personnel from these militias shall not be absorbed into the security apparatuses or police. The International Verification Committee shall be responsible for verifying the achievement of this.

11. A social peace agreement shall be signed, in line with Palestinian customs and laws, including commitments to an immediate cessation of internal violence, the avoidance of acts of revenge, shows of force, military parades, and armed demonstrations.

International Stabilisation Force and Israeli Troop Withdrawal

12. An interim International Stabilisation Force shall be deployed in the Gaza Strip to separate Israeli forces from areas under the control of the National Committee. The International Stabilisation Force will not perform any policing duties or tasks related to Palestinian society, nor will it undertake any ceasefire enforcement or training of Palestinian police. It will also monitor all parties' compliance, the flow of humanitarian and essential needs into the Gaza Strip, and any non-policing tasks as requested by the National Committee.

13. Israeli forces will complete their phased withdrawal from the Gaza Strip according to an agreed-upon timeline, as stipulated in Section Eight of the plan, which includes a commitment not to force anyone to leave the Strip.

14. The National Committee will be responsible for handling internal security incidents.

Reconstruction

15. The reconstruction of the Gaza Strip and the provision of necessary resources and funding will be implemented according to a plan and timeline established and overseen by the Peace Council and the National Committee, in accordance with relevant laws and international standards.

Spanish commentators accuse Israel and US of involvement in Ceuta crisis

Some 60,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco this week, including around 8,000 children

Imran Mulla

Published date: 1 August 202

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/spanish-minister-clashes-israeli-diplomat-over-migrants-entering-ceuta-morocco

A Spanish minister has suggested Israel was stirring problems over 60,000 migrants crossing from Morocco into Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta. 

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, posted on X on Friday: "Spain, which never misses an opportunity to lecture Israel, has declared a state of emergency in Ceuta following the crisis over its immigration policy.

"Maybe before it continues lecturing us, it's time it explained to the world why it still maintains colonial enclaves in Africa," he added.

Sharing Danon's post, Spanish Transport Minister Oscar Puente remarked: "Well, it all seems to be becoming quite clear."

This comes as numerous Spanish politicians and commentators have alleged that Israel and the United States have sought to cause trouble for Spain in retaliation for the Spanish government's opposition to the US-Israeli war on Iran and Israel's war on Gaza. 

Gabriel Rufian, the parliamentary spokesperson for the Republican Left of Catalonia, a left-wing party, argued that the crisis served American and Israeli interests.

Spanish journalist Jose Vizner, meanwhile, shared a 2019 social media post by Yair Netanyahu, the son of Israel's prime minister, discussing alleged Israeli support for separatism in Ceuta.

Prominent Spanish actor Javier Bardem shared a video accusing Israel of being behind the crossings.

Former Portuguese minister and commentator Bruno Macaes said that "whether or not the US and Israel were involved before the fact, they were deeply involved and intensely active after the fact, especially trying to use it against the current Spanish government".

Ceuta, a Spanish territory on Morocco's Mediterranean coast, and Melilla, another Spanish autonomous city on the country’s northern coast, share the only land borders between the European Union and Africa.

Some 60,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco this week, including around 8,000 children, according to the Spanish government.

Footage posted online showed people swimming into the enclave around the border barrier, with some wearing swimsuits and using flotation rings to make the dangerous journey.

Diplomatic spats over migrant crossings

France said it was increasing checks along its border with Spain, while Italy threatened to suspend Spain from the EU's internal open-border scheme.

But on Saturday, Spain said most migrants, around 48,000, had already returned to Morocco, ushered by Spanish soldiers.

Videos online showed migrants hiding in tunnels and walking around on the streets of Ceuta.

At least 67 people are believed to have died while attempting to reach the enclave.

It is unclear what prompted the wave of attempted crossings, but there have previously been similar incidents.

In May 2021, 8,000 Moroccans entered the enclave amid a diplomatic dispute between Spain and Morocco over Western Sahara. At the time, Spain accused Morocco of using migrants as leverage, and a Moroccan minister said Morocco was justified in relaxing its border control as a response to the diplomatic dispute.

Some commentators have accused Morocco of facilitating this week's crossings, pointing to the Moroccan government's anger at Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's recent visit to Algeria, Spain's biggest gas supplier.

Lorenzo Gabrielli, a senior researcher at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona who researches migration in Ceuta, told the New York Times: "It is impossible for nearly 50,000 people to cross the border between Morocco and Spain in a single day without Morocco having a hand in it."

Ceuta President Juan Jesus Vivas condemned the migration as a "violation of Spain's territorial integrity".

Morocco's ambassador to Spain, Karima Benyaich, said: "We have always prioritised legal, orderly and safe migration for all."

She insisted the crossings had been against the wishes of the Moroccan government.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump called the situation a "catastrophe" and added that "if we're not in office our country will be invaded at levels that will make Spain look small time".

Israel spends over $1bn on global influence campaign to whitewash war, genocide

Support for Israel among young people in the US is collapsing, including among conservatives

News Desk

JUL 31, 2026

https://thecradle.co/articles/israel-spends-over-1bn-on-global-influence-campaign-to-whitewash-war-genocide

The Israeli government has spent more than $1 billion on propaganda since 7 October 2023 in a bid to reverse the collapse in public support following its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, according to a 24 July report by Responsible Statecraft (RS).

The amount represents a “dramatic escalation” in Israel's “global Hasbara” spending to shape public opinion, in particular in the US, Tel Aviv's biggest backer.

The effort was launched to counter the change in opinion of US citizens, who have turned against Israel due to the war crimes it has carried out in Gaza over the past nearly three years.

A Gallup poll from July 2025 found that 60 percent of US citizens disapproved of Israel's military actions in Gaza, which have killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, and turned the strip into a devastated moonscape.

To change this, Israel has funded various propaganda campaigns, such as hiring US President Donald's Trump's former campaign manager Brad Parscale to carry out a mass texting campaign on behalf of Israel under the guise of “peace” groups like “Allies for Peace.”

Israel has long influenced the opinions of the US public through pro-Israel lobbying groups funded and staffed by Jewish US citizens.

Groups such as the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and Christians United for Israel (CUFI) therefore were not required to register as foreign agents under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

However, RS notes that Israel has recently spent more than $100 million in the US to conduct influence operations by directly hiring registered foreign agents. This allows Tel Aviv to closely control messaging, target specific demographics, and act more efficiently.

RS used FARA data, Israeli government procurement documents, and interviews with dozens of sources to document Israel's recent propaganda initiative.

Much of the effort is directed by the French firm Havas Media, which subcontracts with US public relations firms to target the demographic Israel most fears losing support from: evangelical Christians, conservatives, and young US citizens.

Through such firms, Tel Aviv can pay social media influencers, fund mass texting operations, and even shape the answers given by AI chatbots to users seeking information about Israel and its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza.

The Israeli government pays for “LLM poisoning,” which entails creating pro-Israel websites that feed information to chatbots such as Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok whenever users ask questions about Israel.

The goal is to manipulate the answers given by the chatbots when users ask about straightforward events, RS notes, such as the murder of the young Palestinian girl Hind Rajab by the Israeli occupation forces in Gaza. 

Instead of providing the facts of the incident, the chatbot feeds the user a “he-said, she-said” account of the incident, highlighting Israel's justifications for shooting a five-year-old and her family.

Despite their role as foreign agents, some of the PR firms and influencers working for Israel have refused to disclose their financial relationships with the Israeli government.

“Israel's new tactics are transforming America's influence landscape, but they have so far proved insufficient to counter the erosion in public support that is being driven by Israel's deeply unpopular policies,” RS concluded. 

EXCLUSIVE: CIA Assessment Details Israel's Race to Make the U.S.-Israel Alliance Irreversible

The intelligence assessment says Israeli officials are pursuing a long-term strategy to make the alliance harder for future administrations to scale back.

Aída Chávez

Jul 29, 2026

https://capitalandempire.com/p/exclusive-cia-assessment-israel-us-support

Israeli officials know they’re losing the American public. Panicked that America’s political consensus on Israel is collapsing, they’re pursuing a long-term strategy to permanently enmesh Israel within America’s military, intelligence, and defense establishment – in ways future administrations would struggle to unwind – according to a new confidential U.S. intelligence assessment.

Israeli officials believe the political fight over Israel in the United States is becoming harder to win, and that the era of indefinitely securing billions of dollars in annual military aid is coming to an end, according to the assessment, which was described to Capital & Empire by several U.S. officials. Instead of relying on direct U.S. military aid – an increasingly visible and politically contentious form of support – Israel is racing to embed itself more deeply in America's military, intelligence, and national security apparatus in ways designed to outlast future administrations.

The assessment, written primarily by the CIA and circulated this week, describes discussions about expanding intelligence cooperation and the possibility of hosting a permanent U.S. military base on Israeli territory. It also says Israeli officials have been cultivating prominent figures in the American technology sector to build long-term political and financial support for the strategy. The assessment does not identify those individuals by name.

Congress has already begun advancing elements of Israel’s strategy. Last week, the House quietly approved Section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act, establishing a permanent U.S.-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative within the Pentagon. The House version establishes a Pentagon executive agent charged with coordinating bilateral defense research, development, industrial cooperation, and technology integration.

Six Democrats – Reps. Henry Cuellar, Don Davis, Jared Golden, Vicente Gonzalez, Adam Gray, and Marie Gluesenkamp Perez – joined Republicans in voting to pass the defense authorization bill. The measure now heads to the Senate, which is expected to consider its own version of the NDAA before lawmakers from both chambers negotiate a final compromise bill for President Donald Trump’s signature.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., who led an effort to strip Section 219 from the $1.15 trillion Pentagon budget, called the provision “a betrayal of our sovereignty.” Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., similarly described the proposal as “an existential threat to American sovereignty and democracy.”

Earlier this year, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu floated phasing out direct U.S. military aid altogether. Most mainstream news coverage framed the proposed shift as a reflection of Israel’s growing economic and military strength, or self-sufficiency. But according to the assessment, the CIA views the strategy differently. The spy agency believes that Israel is seeking to insulate the U.S.-Israel alliance from America’s changing political landscape by replacing highly visible foreign aid with deeper, longer-lasting forms of military and industrial integration.

From Israel’s perspective, embedding the alliance more deeply within the U.S. national security apparatus would make it far more difficult for future administrations to pressure Israel by slowing or withholding arms transfers.

The strategy goes beyond intelligence sharing and military aid. Israeli officials also want Israeli technology, intelligence capabilities, and jointly developed weapons systems embedded in the U.S. military itself, making American defense increasingly reliant on Israeli systems. The assessment says Israeli officials have discussed positioning Israel in Washington as a uniquely indispensable technological and intelligence partner, pointing to language in the 2026 National Defense Strategy describing Israel as a “model ally” whose relationship with the United States is mutually beneficial.

Since the start of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, American public opinion toward Israel has deteriorated sharply. About 60 percent of U.S. adults now hold an unfavorable view of Israel, up from 53 percent a year ago, according to an April Pew Research Center survey. Among both Democrats and Republicans under 50, majorities now view both Israel and Netanyahu negatively.

As Gaza has become a defining issue in Democratic politics, the Democratic Socialists of America has surged in membership and electoral success behind campaigns centered on opposition to Israel. A generation ago, public support for Palestine could end a career. Today, a Canary Mission profile may be a stepping stone to Congress. The CIA knows Israel is nervous.

Zelensky's dangerous gambit to merge the Iran and Ukraine Wars

Of course this would also appeal to Israel, prolonging the Middle East war and potentially drawing European governments into the theater, too.

Trita Parsi

Jul 28, 2026

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/zelensky-iran-war-trump/

As Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky arrives in Washington, much indicates that he is no longer merely trying to draw greater American support into its war against Russia. Increasingly, it appears to be pursuing something far more consequential: merging the Ukraine war with the U.S.-Iran conflict into a single strategic theater.

The distinction matters. If the two wars become one, Ukraine ceases to be merely a recipient of American military assistance and instead becomes a direct participant in Washington's war with Tehran. By the same token, the United States would no longer simply be Ukraine's principal arms supplier. It would become an active belligerent against Russia through a conflict that stretches from the Black Sea to the Caspian.

For Kyiv, this would represent the strategic breakthrough it has sought since Russia's invasion in 2022.

From the outset of the war, Ukrainian leaders consistently urged NATO to move beyond supplying weapons and intelligence. Zelensky repeatedly appealed for a NATO-enforced no-fly zone, warning that anything less amounted to allowing Russia to bomb Ukrainian cities with impunity. He pressed Western governments to provide increasingly sophisticated weapons systems long before they were politically acceptable in Washington. And he argued that victory required the West to abandon what he viewed as self-imposed escalation timidity.

The Biden administration sympathized with Ukraine's predicament but consistently refused to cross several red lines. President Joe Biden rejected sending American ground troops, arguing that direct combat between U.S. and Russian forces risked a wider war between nuclear powers. He repeatedly ruled out establishing a no-fly zone because enforcing one would require U.S. pilots to shoot down Russian aircraft. His administration initially declined to provide F-16 fighter jets, long-range ATACMS missiles, and other advanced systems for fear of uncontrolled escalation, only relaxing some of those restrictions gradually after lengthy internal debate.

Throughout those decisions, Washington's guiding principle remained consistent: help Ukraine defend itself without allowing the United States to become a direct combatant against Russia, while also eschewing diplomacy that could have brought the fighting to an end.

Today, however, the strategic landscape has changed. The Trump administration's war with Iran has produced exactly the dilemma many critics predicted. Washington possesses overwhelming military superiority, yet it has suffered a strategic defeat at the hand of Tehran. Iran has demonstrated an ability to widen the battlefield horizontally, impose costs across multiple theaters, and force the United States to defend allies and assets far from the original front lines. Iran has escalation dominance; Trump has no good military option and he lacks the patience to pursue the diplomatic ones with discipline.

Trump’s vulnerability creates a historic opening for Kyiv. Instead of appearing as a country dependent on American assistance, Ukraine can now present itself as a strategic asset capable of helping Washington turn a military debacle into a splendid victory. Ukrainian drone warfare has evolved faster than almost any military innovation during the past three years. Its experience integrating inexpensive autonomous systems into conventional warfare has few equals.

Just as important, Ukraine could offer something Washington currently lacks: an opportunity to expand the conflict into an entirely new geographic theater. That is, turn Iran’s horizontal escalation against it.

The Caspian Sea represents such a possibility, in the Ukrainian argument. Opening pressure against Iran from the north would complicate Tehran's military planning, force it to redistribute scarce resources, and reduce its ability to dictate where the conflict is fought.

From Kyiv's perspective, offering that capability transforms Ukraine from America's benefactor to its savior.

But a greater strategic prize for Kyiv would be to fuse the two conflicts into one. Such a merger would fundamentally alter the political logic of both wars. American personnel, intelligence assets, logistics, and operational planning would become increasingly intertwined across the two theaters. Russian and Iranian military cooperation would likewise encourage Washington to treat them as components of a single conflict rather than separate crises.

Once that threshold is crossed, the distinction between supporting Ukraine and fighting Russia becomes progressively harder to sustain.

This dynamic would also appeal to Israel. First, it would give the Iran war another lease on life. Second, it would internationalize the conflict further by drawing European governments into the Iran theater through their deep commitments to Ukraine. And third, perhaps most significantly, it would transform the political narrative. Defeating Iran would no longer be presented as a necessity to defend Israel, but rather, to defend Ukraine.

Given the levels of elite and public support Ukraine enjoys — after all, it was the victim of an illegal invasion — such a framing is far more politically digestible than centering the war on Israel, given Israel’s plummeting standing in the West due to its genocide in Gaza and critical role in starting the illegal war with Iran.

None of this means that Ukraine’s gamble will succeed. But Trump may be susceptible to it given his self-inflicted predicament in the Strait of Hormuz. (However, judging by the decision not to hold a press conference today, this may mean Zelensky’s meeting with Trump earlier at the White House was less than successful.)

Though Biden’s Ukraine policy deserves much criticism, he is resisting this type of escalation because the risk of direct confrontation between NATO and Russia could lead to a much larger and more catastrophic war. Those concerns have not disappeared simply because the White House has changed hands or because Trump has trapped himself in a foolish war.

Attempts to solve one strategic problem by broadening the scope of a conflict have often made both problems harder to resolve. The greatest danger today may not be that Trump chooses to fight two wars simultaneously, but that seemingly small escalatory steps pave the way for a disaster both Biden and Trump have sought to avoid.

Is It Just About AIPAC’s Money, or Does the US-Israel Rot Run Far Deeper?

by Ramzy Baroud | Jul 29, 2026

https://original.antiwar.com/ramzy-baroud/2026/07/28/is-it-just-about-aipacs-money-or-does-the-us-israel-rot-run-far-deeper/

Two major stories regarding the United States and Israel in recent days represent profound watershed moments in the history of the relationship between both countries.

The first incident occurred on July 8 when US Congressman Ro Khanna (D-CA) and his delegation were detained by armed, illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank.

“These hoodlums come in with machine guns – an M4, an American-made machine gun – and they detain us,” Khanna recounted in a stunning statement. “They block off the road. And then they call the IDF, and the IDF is on their side, not on the side of the Americans.”

Equally shocking to the congressman’s direct encounter with the raw, lawless reality of the occupation was the response of US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee. Rather than defending an elected American lawmaker, Huckabee dismissed Khanna’s harrowing experience as a mere “stunt.”

This defiance of old taboos, however, is not confined to progressive factions. In an even more unprecedented development on July 15, US Vice President JD Vance used an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience to deliver some of the sharpest criticism of Israel ever uttered by a sitting, top-tier US official.

Addressing a reported Israeli government-funded online influence campaign aimed at sabotaging the administration’s diplomatic efforts, a furious Vance accused “certain elements within the Israeli government” of actively trying to derail peace negotiations and manipulate American public opinion. He went so far as to target the operators behind the foreign-backed campaign, telling them directly to “go to hell.”

Yet, even as fierce criticism of Israel reaches the very apex of American politics, a profound, schizophrenic rupture divides Washington. While the American public, influential media personalities, and top-tier politicians are openly turning against Israel’s unbridled violence, the traditional power structures continue to toe the line.

This is explicitly evident in Congress, where establishment politicians remain busy acting as defense contractors for Tel Aviv. Lawmakers are quietly pushing forward with Section 219 of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2027. Far from distancing the US from the ongoing regional bloodbath, this legislation aims to permanently integrate and synchronize the US and Israeli militaries under a joint “Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.”

This institutional blind spot is why the entire alliance is beginning to look utterly ridiculous.

Traditional foreign policy theory views Israel as an American ‘vessel’ or ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’\ in the Middle East, policing the region on behalf of Western hegemony. Whether that was ever true is highly debatable. Today, the ongoing genocide in Gaza, the relentless war on Iran, and the escalating aggressions against Lebanon and Syria have yielded zero strategic value to the American people. Instead, the United States has paid a massive financial and moral largesse to fund bloody regional wars that disrupt the global economy and make Washington a direct, complicit partner in the destruction of the Palestinian people.

Yet, the American administration continues to offer unquestioning support, with the exception of occasionally leaked, manufactured accounts of ‘tense’ phone calls between Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu. No matter the physical, economic, or reputational damage inflicted on the US, Washington continues to march blindly toward the precipice.

To believe this subservience is a recent phenomenon is to misunderstand history. For many, the physical detention of Congressman Khanna by Israeli forces evokes the memory of Rachel Corrie – the 23-year-old American peace activist who was brutally crushed to death by an Israeli military bulldozer in Rafah on March 16, 2003, while peacefully shielding a Palestinian family home from demolition. In both cases, the message from Tel Aviv was clear: American status offers no protection.

Yet, this dependency runs deeper, rooted in the 1967 USS Liberty incident. During the Six-Day War, Israeli forces launched a relentless two-hour attack on an unarmed US intelligence ship, killing 34 American sailors and wounding 171. Instead of demanding accountability, the Johnson administration accepted Israel’s excuse of a “mistake” and covered up the truth to protect its ally. This established a decades-long precedent: Washington would act as a political and military shield for Israeli actions, even at the cost of American lives.

It is often argued that Israel’s stranglehold on American policy stems entirely from the financial power of its lobby in Washington, particularly the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Conventional wisdom holds that AIPAC’s true dominance as the ultimate kingmaker began in 1981, when it waged a historic, ferocious battle to block President Ronald Reagan’s proposed sale of AWACS early-warning surveillance aircraft to Saudi Arabia.

But the USS Liberty incident occurred long before the lobby wielded such immense power. The truth is that the US government has simply lost control of the very creature it has nurtured and shielded for decades. Blaming this dependency solely on campaign contributions no longer suffices; the rot is far deeper. It is driven by a deep-seated fear and trepidation among American politicians who have spent their entire careers learning that political survival requires absolute obedience to Tel Aviv.

This is precisely why JD Vance’s recent remarks are so critical. It proves that the armor of absolute impunity is cracking, and the language of genuine, systemic criticism of Israel has officially been normalized in mainstream political discourse.

There must be a profound political awakening in America. If the American public and its leaders fail to reclaim their foreign policy from this destructive alliance, the only path forward will be one of perpetual conflict, economic ruin, and endless war.