KOENIG

President Donald Trump was re-elected to the presidency to drain the swamp in Washington, push back the tide of illegal immigration and roll back the dead hand of toxic woke leftism in American government and society. He wasn’t returned to the White House to enact regime change in Iran or anywhere else. Those two basic truths are the foundation of any argument on behalf of the United States not getting actively involved in the effort to topple the Islamists theocrats in Tehran.

Still, there’s another angle from which to consider that question.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with White House special envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff on Tuesday, emphasizing that Israel will not compromise on its war aims in the Gaza Strip, and cautioning against trusting Iranian promises.

Netanyahu insisted on the disarmament of Hamas and the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip prior to any Gaza reconstruction efforts, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement following the meeting.

The prime minister also made it clear that the Palestinian Authority could not be part of the administration of the Gaza Strip in any way.

U.S. Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff is expected to travel to Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, Reuters reported on Monday, citing two senior Israeli officials.

The anticipated visit comes amid reports of renewed U.S.-Iran nuclear talks.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-affiliated Tasnim News Agency reported on Monday that the details of potential negotiations between Washington and Tehran “have not been finalized.” This followed a report earlier in the day from another IRGC-linked outlet, Fars News Agency, since deleted, that Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian “has ordered the initiation of nuclear negotiations with the United States,” based on a “well-informed source.”

US envoy Steve Witkoff is expected to arrive in Israel on Tuesday for meetings with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, according to two senior Israeli officials.

The discussions will likely concern Iran, after Zamir was in Washington DC over the weekend for a series of discussions with American defense officials regarding the Islamic Republic.

Following his visit to Israel, Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi plan to meet on Friday in Istanbul to discuss a possible nuclear deal and other issues, a US official said on Monday.

A powerful discussion on the spiritual direction of America and the West, featuring firsthand experiences from Europe where Christianity has declined and cultural shifts have reshaped society. This conversation explores persecution, revival, the importance of evangelism, and why many believe America stands at a critical crossroads. The message is clear: prayer, revival, and a return to biblical faith are urgently needed. What can Christians do in times like these? How should believers respond? And what lessons can America learn from Europe’s experience?

The US and Iran have reportedly informed each other that they are ready to conduct negotiations on an agreement to end tensions between them, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held top-level meetings on the situation.

A senior American official told the Axios news site on Sunday that US President Donald Trump’s administration has made it clear it is open to holding such talks as soon as this week.

According to the report, Turkey, Egypt and Qatar are working to organize a meeting this week between White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian officials in Ankara, Turkey’s capital.

An American attack on Iran will spark a wider conflict, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei again threatened on Sunday.

“The Americans should know if they start a war, this time it will be a regional war,” the Islamic Republic posted on the ruler’s official X account.

Khamenei said the same at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Hussainiya ceremonial hall and religious-political complex, during an event marking the anniversary of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini’s 1979 return from exile and the start of the 11-day Fajr celebrations of the Islamic Revolution.

The 12-day air campaign against Iran that was carried out by Israel last June, and then eventually joined by the United States, changed the strategic equation in the Middle East. But as much as that is an enormous benefit to both Jerusalem and Washington, there was one consequence to this victory that will discourage many observers of the region.

The tacit alliance between Israel and Saudi Arabia against a common enemy in Tehran was the basis for the success of the first Trump administration’s ability to make the Abraham Accords a reality in 2020. It also raised the possibility of the entire Arab and Muslim world coming to terms with the permanence of Israel, as well as the possibility that the guardian of Islamic holy places in Mecca and Medina might embrace formal recognition of Israel.

Iran’s top security official has signaled progress in efforts to de-escalate tensions with the United States following days of heightened strain.

In a post on social media on Saturday, Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said a “structured framework” for negotiations is “taking shape and moving forward.”

He also brushed aside what he described as “manufactured hype of the media’s war narrative.”

Larijani’s remarks come amid intense diplomatic activity led by several regional countries, most notably Türkiye, aimed at mediating between arch foes Tehran and Washington and easing tensions.

U.S. Central Command is urging the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to conduct a scheduled naval exercise safely and avoid “escalatory behavior at sea.”

On Thursday, Iran announced that the IRGC would be “conducting a two-day live-fire naval exercise in the Strait of Hormuz, scheduled to begin on Sunday.”

On Friday, CENTCOM said it “urges the IRGC to conduct the announced naval exercise in a manner that is safe, professional and avoids unnecessary risk to freedom of navigation for international maritime traffic,” noting that the Strait of Hormuz connecting the Persian Gulf with the world is an international sea passage.

Iran on Saturday attempted to project stability after weeks of unrest and fears of a looming US military strike, publishing rare images of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in public as officials warned the United States and Israel against military action.

After last night’s restricted discussion on Iran and other regional issues, Prime Minister Netanyahu held another security consultation Friday afternoon. Israeli officials assess that a U.S. strike on Iran is still not a done deal.

At least two people were killed and 14 others wounded in an explosion at the port of Bandar Abbas in southern Iran on Saturday. In a separate incident, four people were killed in a gas explosion in the city of Ahvaz, near the border with Iraq. Against the backdrop of heightened tensions with the US, senior Israeli and American officials denied any involvement in the incidents in conversations with Reuters and CNN.

US President Donald Trump says he has given Iran a deadline to make a deal, as Washington moves significant military assets to the region ahead of a potential strike on the Islamic Republic.

Asked by reporters in the Oval Office if he’s given a deadline to Iran before a potential strike, Trump confirms that he has communicated one directly to Tehran, adding, “Only they know for sure.”

He doesn’t reveal the timing of that deadline.

US President Donald Trump on Friday confirmed he has had dialogue with Iran, as The New York Times reported he was considering potential raids by American troops on facilities within the Islamic Republic.

“We have a lot of very big, very powerful ships sailing to Iran right now, and it would be great if we didn’t have to use them,” Trump told reporters, referring to the US military assets moving to the region.

Asked if he has any conversations with Iran in the last few days or if he is planning to, Trump responded, “I have had, and I am planning on it.”

A U.S. guided-missile destroyer docked near Israel’s southern port city of Eilat on Friday, as Washington continues to reposition military assets across the region amid rising tensions with Iran.

The IDF said the arrival of the USS Delbert D. Black was pre-planned and part of ongoing cooperation between the Israel Defense Forces and the United States military.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is holding a security consultation in Jerusalem with top advisers and defense officials on a “classified topic,” the office of one of the attendees tells The Times of Israel.

According to Channel 12, the discussion is focusing on Iran and the possibility of a US strike.

Israeli officials do not believe that a limited strike will bring down the regime, and that US President Donald Trump shares their assessment, according to the outlet. Therefore, they assess that Trump will focus a potential attack on physical assets, especially the nuclear and missile programs.

Reports indicate US President Trump is considering a range of strike options against Iran, from targeted attacks on regime figures to broader strikes on missile and nuclear sites.

(photo: Reuters)

IDF Intelligence Chief Maj.-Gen. Shlomi Binder and Mossad Director David Barnea have both recently visited the US to present a one-two punch for advice about how to handle Iran.

Barnea landed in the US on January 16, meeting with US Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff and a variety of other critical national security meetings, The Jerusalem Post has learned.

Amid rising tensions between Tehran and Washington, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian held a phone call on Tuesday with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Iran's presidential office. The two leaders discussed what Tehran described as "recent events" as well as regional and international developments.

Iranian officials issued stark warnings Wednesday against any US strike on the country, with a top adviser to Iran’s supreme leader threatening that Tehran would attack Israel in any such event with an “unprecedented” retaliation, including “at the heart of Tel Aviv.”

In posts to X both in Persian and in Hebrew, Ali Shamkhani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said: “A limited [US] strike is an illusion. Any military action by America, of any kind and at any level, will be considered the start of a war, and the response will be immediate, comprehensive, and unprecedented, directed at the aggressor, at the heart of Tel Aviv, and at all who support the aggressor.”

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also warned that Iran’s forces would respond forcefully to any US military operation, but did not rule out a new deal on Tehran’s nuclear program.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that “many plates of poison” are coming from Iran, and that it is best to “burn the kitchen down” than simply “changing the menu,” amid the possibility of a looming US military strike on the Iranian regime.

His comments come as the United States is increasing its military presence in the region amid threats to attack Iran in the wake of the violent repression of anti-government protests there.

“Many plates of poison—Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Houthis—are being served all out of the same kitchen, Tehran,” Huckabee said in conversation with JNS CEO Alex Traiman at the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem. “You can change the menu; better to burn the kitchen down and not let them serve those plates anymore.”

He said that Christians need to understand that they will be the next target of the Islamists.

U.S. President Donald Trump warned Iran in a Truth Social post on Wednesday that “a massive armada” is making its way to the region and advised it to negotiate a settlement on its nuclear program as time was running out. 

“A massive Armada is heading to Iran. It is moving quickly, with great power, enthusiasm, and purpose. It is a larger fleet, headed by the great Aircraft Carrier Abraham Lincoln, than that sent to Venezuela. Like with Venezuela, it is ready, willing, and able to rapidly fulfill its mission, with speed and violence, if necessary,” Trump posted. 

“Hopefully Iran will quickly ‘Come to the Table’ and negotiate a fair and equitable deal—NO NUCLEAR WEAPONS—one that is good for all parties. Time is running out, it is truly of the essence,” he added.

Saudi Arabia on Tuesday ruled out the use of its airspace and territory for a potential U.S. attack on Iran, complicating the Trump administration’s options in response to Tehran’s violent crackdown against Iranian protesters. 

The Saudi move follows a similar statement Monday by the United Arab Emirates’ foreign ministry. 

The declarations from the two Gulf states represent a foreign policy setback for the Trump administration as it seeks to ratchet up pressure on Tehran, which has defied Washington’s demand that it halt uranium enrichment and end the suppression of protesters.

The United States announced on Tuesday that it was conducting an aerial military exercise in the Middle East amid ongoing tensions with Iran.

The US Ninth Air Force — also known as Air Forces Central (AFCENT) — the air component in United States Central Command (CENTCOM) — will be conducting a “multi-day readiness exercise to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across the US Central Command area of responsibility,” AFCENT said.

The drill came a day after CENTCOM announced that the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and accompanying warships had arrived in the Middle East.

The IDF found the remains of the last Israeli hostage from the October 7 invasion, St.-Sgt.-Maj. Ran Gvili, on Monday at around 2:00 p.m. at al-Batesh cemetery in the Shejaia-Daraj-Tuffah part of northern Gaza. His funeral will be held on Wednesday in his hometown of Meitar.

Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar has arrived in Kazakhstan on an official visit, leading a broad economic delegation that includes dozens of Israeli business figures and representatives of public institutions. 

The trip comes as ties between Jerusalem and Astana deepen, following Kazakhstan’s announcement that it is joining the Abraham Accords, making it the first country in Central Asia to do so.

At Sa’ar’s initiative, the group is holding a series of meetings with Kazakh government officials, economic authorities and senior figures from local industry, aimed at turning diplomatic momentum into practical commercial cooperation.