JERUSALEM, Israel – New signs of escalation are emerging across the Middle East, from Iranian drone strikes in the Gulf to Israel’s continued war against Hamas in Gaza. The U.S. is weighing its next move, while the Middle East braces for renewed military action.
President Trump warned Iran this weekend that the time for diplomacy is running out.
Posting on Truth Social, the president stated, “For Iran, the clock is ticking, and they’d better get moving, fast, or there won’t be anything left of them. Time is of the essence.”
The warning came after a Sunday call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Speaking with Fox News host Bret Baier over the weekend, Trump said that the United States is doing the world “a big favor” by confronting the Iranian threat.
Trump repeated his contention, “You cannot let them have a nuclear weapon. They will use it on us. They will start off with Israel, wipe it out. It’ll go to Europe. They have a missile that goes to Europe. You saw that. I have done Europe a very big favor.”
Yet, in comments to Axios, the president kept the door open for a deal, saying he is waiting for Iran to submit a revised proposal. However, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina), speaking on NBC’s Meet the Press, questioned whether any agreement with the current Tehran leadership is still possible.
Graham remarked, “They’re so weakened. They agree to things and then, the next day, back up. President Trump’s very frustrated. So, what to do next? I think it’s going to be very difficult to get a deal with the current regime.”
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Meanwhile, an Iranian drone strike sparked a fire near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates. U.A.E. officials called the incident an “unprovoked terrorist attack.” No injuries or radiation leaks were reported.
The $20 billion facility supplies nearly one-quarter of the U.A.E.’s electricity.
Over the weekend in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the killing of a senior Hamas commander in Gaza.
We eliminated the master murderer, Izz al-Din al-Haddad,” Netanyahu said. “This despicable terrorist was responsible for the murder, injury, and kidnapping of thousands…he used the hostages as human shields.”
Despite international protests tied to the Gaza war, Israel also saw a moment of celebration on the world stage this weekend. Israeli singer Noam Bettan finished in second place at the Eurovision Song Contest, marking the second consecutive year that Israel finished as the runner-up in the competition.
And in New York City, controversy erupted after Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted a Nakhba Day video featuring a Palestinian woman describing her family’s forced departure from Jerusalem during Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. The video drew millions of critics, who accused the mayor of ignoring the roughly 850,000 Jews who were expelled from Arab and Muslim countries after Israel’s creation.
