JERUSALEM, Israel – War is escalating again in the Middle East, just three weeks after a ceasefire was supposed to silence the guns. Iranian forces have now launched attacks on U.S. military targets throughout the Persian Gulf, retaliating for recent American airstrikes inside Iran.
The military action raises concerns that the conflict is entering a dangerous new phase, with regional allies now preparing for what may come next.
Israel is bracing for the possibility that Iran could target Israeli air bases used by U.S. aircraft, including refueling tankers at Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport.
President Trump met with his national security team on Thursday to discuss his next move. The administration is reportedly considering new options, including reimposing a naval blockade on Iranian ports.
“We have many ways we can win, but we’ve already won militarily,” Trump stated. “They have very little.”
He added, “They have a little left, and they want to make a deal so badly. They called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal. I don’t know that they’re going to honor the deal. That’s the problem.”
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The president also questioned Tehran’s leadership, declaring, “They’re sort of crazy, to be honest with you. They’re sort of crazy. They’re a little bit out of control.”hey called a little while ago. They want to make a deal so badly. I just don’t know if they’re worthy of making a deal. I don’t know that they’re going to honor the deal. That’s the problem.”
With more banners in Iran calling for Trump’s death, throngs gathered in Iran for the ongoing funeral of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed early in the war. His funeral ends a week of mass processions that have fueled nationalist fervor among some in the population.
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told military graduates that he is ready to return to fight if necessary.
He remarked, “The war has not yet ended. Alongside the old challenges, new challenges are emerging. Axes fall, and axes rise. We give our opinion on it. We are prepared for every scenario, and we know one thing: We must always be stronger than our enemies.”
Reports from Israel indicate that Jerusalem is prepared to join with American forces in attacking Iranian targets.
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Defense Minister Israel Katz delivered an even stronger warning, saying, “The IDF is on alert, and ready to renew the campaign, to reestablish aerial superiority, and to carry out a blue-white (Israeli) strike in Iran to remove threats, even for a third time. If we will have to return, we will return with even greater force.”
Netanyahu also reaffirmed that Israeli troops will remain in southern Lebanon for as long as necessary to protect Israel’s northern communities.
The growing conflict is shaking the global economy. Oil prices surged, and stock markets fell after Trump said he believes the ceasefire has effectively collapsed.
“We just hit them very hard. And I say we hit them twenty to one,” he estimated. “Every time they hit us, we’re going to hit them twenty.”
Reports from Israeli news outlets say Israel is warning the U.S. about a new Iranian plot to assassinate Trump. The president and prime minister spoke by phone on Thursday about operations in the Persian Gulf.
Netanyahu also warned the president about the leadership in Turkey and its growing threats against Israel, calling them “humanity’s common problem.”
This comes as the White House considers selling advanced American fighter jets to Turkey.
