{"id":29755,"date":"2026-06-18T16:07:42","date_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:07:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=29755"},"modified":"2026-06-18T16:07:42","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:07:42","slug":"wheeling-and-dealing-in-the-middle-east","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/?p=29755","title":{"rendered":"Wheeling and Dealing in the Middle East"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n Reading Time:<\/span> 22<\/span> minutes<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

In 1987 Tony Schwartz (with Donald J. Trump listed as co-author) released a ghost-written book called \u2018The Art of the Deal.\u2019 Part business-advice and part memoir, it reached #1 on the\u00a0New York Times<\/em>\u00a0Best Seller list. Trump\u2019s subsequent hit reality television show,\u00a0The Apprentice<\/em>, opened with a line based on that book: \u201cI\u2019ve mastered the art of the deal . . . And as the master, I want to pass my knowledge along to somebody else.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

Get prayer updates from IFA.<\/h4>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

What happens when the \u2018master of the American deal\u2019 confronts perhaps\u00a0the ultimate geopolitical \u2018wheeler-dealer\u2019\u00a0\u2013 modern-day Iran (ancient Persia)? On Sunday June 14, 2026, POTUS Trump\u00a0announced: \u201cThe Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!<\/em>\u201d An Iranian-American \u2018Peace Deal\u2019 (MOU, or\u00a0Memorandum of Understanding<\/em>) was\u00a0digitally signed\u00a0privately on Sunday June 14, and will be publicly signed in\u00a0Switzerland\u00a0on Friday June 19, 2026.\n<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Will this \u2018Iranian Deal\u2019 end up solving Middle Eastern problems \u2013 or will it end up dissolving Trump\u2019s government and turning the POTUS\u2019 heart away from the God of Jacob and His Jewish people?<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    History of ages past<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    One of the first Persian deals recorded in history concerns the\u00a0Peloponnesian War (431 to 404 BC). It was fought in the\u00a0Eastern Mediterranean\u00a0between two Greek armies \u2013 the\u00a0Athens-led\u00a0Delian League\u00a0and the\u00a0Sparta-led\u00a0Peloponnesian League. Winner takes all: the prize was who would control Greece. Persia\u2019s Achaemenid Empire acted as the ultimate broker between Athens and Sparta. By selectively funding Spartan general Lysander\u2019s navy, Persia effectively depleted the resources of both Greek city-states, ensuring neither army could pose a unified threat to the Persian frontier. By the year 413 BC (with Persian support) Sparta decisively defeated Athens, asserting its\u00a0hegemony\u00a0over Greece.\n<\/p>\n

    Crossing the Silk Road on the great Persian Land Bridge<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    Persia\u2019s geographic location made it an indispensable land bridge between Europe and Asia. Persia\u2019s control of vital overland trade routes brought in fat customs charges through the taxation of both Roman buyers and Chinese merchants.\n<\/p>\n

    During the\u00a0Byzantine-Sasanian\u00a0wars (572-628\u00a0AD), Persia tightly regulated the market flow of Chinese silk, forcing the Byzantine Empire situated in today\u2019s Turkey to pay punitive taxes for these luxury items.\n<\/p>\n

    The Great Game \u2013 Britain, France, Russia and the USA<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    During the 19th and early 20th centuries, Persia found itself squeezed between two aggressive superpowers: the British Empire and Imperial Russia. Persian shahs skillfully survived by playing one superpower against the other, preventing either one from gaining total control.\n<\/p>\n

    Following the\u00a01951 nationalization of Iranian oil, and\u00a0 up to the end of the 20th-century, Iran continuously leveraged its control over the Strait of Hormuz (a critical global oil chokepoint), pivoting its trade agreements between Western nations, Russia, and China.\n<\/p>\n

    Masters of the bluff and masters of the proposition<\/strong><\/h3>\n

    In \u2018Slow Train Comin,\u2019 Bob Dylan wryly\u00a0comments:\n<\/p>\n

      \n
    • \u201cAll that foreign oil controlling American soil. Look around you, it\u2019s just bound to make you embarrassed. Sheiks walkin\u2019 around like kings wearing fancy jewels and nose rings, deciding America\u2019s future from Amsterdam and to Paris. And there\u2019s a slow, slow train comin\u2019 up around the bend . . . Big-time negotiators, . . . Masters of the bluff and masters of the proposition.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      In Persian culture,\u00a0negotiations are a deeply rooted art. The nation\u2019s bazaars are chock full of veteran merchants haggling with refined skill day in and day out. Iran\u2019s highly effective endurance-based, bazaar-style approach to diplomacy (characterized by deliberate ambiguity, strategic patience, and repetitive bargaining) does not aim for rapid, comprehensive capitulation. Iran has learned how to play geostrategic chess; it does not follow the rules of the\u00a0Harvard Business School.\n<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Tehran utilizes protracted negotiations as a tool to delay pressure, to probe adversary resolve, and to survive crises \u2013 endless talks in which the end game is to avoid strategic capitulation rather than to generate lasting peace or economic normalization.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Negotiations \u2013 Persian-style principles<\/strong><\/h3>\n

        Here are a handful of \u2018bazaar principles\u2019, honed over centuries, which Iran has used over the past decades in negotiating with the USA:\n<\/p>\n

        The \u2018Bazaar\u2019 or Haggling Method<\/em><\/strong>: Start high. Concede slow. Cloak intentions in false ceremonial politeness (Persian\/Arabic,\u00a0taarof<\/em>). Enter into detailed negotiations even on issues that may not be\u00a0deliverable, as a way to test the other side and gather information. \u00a0Promise vague future rewards to keep talks alive without offering anything concrete. Negotiating is viewed as a marathon where the party that first gets tired and impatient is the one who loses. Iran\u2019s diplomats start with ambitious, maximalist demands and concede only marginally or reluctantly, outlasting their opponents to secure the best possible terms.\n<\/p>\n

        Elegant Ambiguity<\/em>:<\/strong>\u00a0Iranian diplomats tend to rely on meticulously crafted, vague language in hammering out agreements. This provides for plausible deniability while allowing each party to interpret the text in his own favor. The overarching strategy is to stay far away from clear commitments. This concept of\u00a0zerangi<\/em>\u00a0(cunning, cleverness or street smarts) is highly valued in Iran. The\u00a0b\u0101z\u0101r<\/em>\u00a0culture reads a situation, understands what the other party actually wants, and reaches a deal through indirect channels rather than through straightforward transaction. The person who can manipulate such negotiations is called a\u00a0zerang<\/em>. However, the person who \u2018takes the list price at face value\u2019 is mocked in Iran and is considered a simpleton. \u00a0Iranians use manipulation, threats, bluffing, and disinformation as legitimate negotiating tactics. They may even issue exaggerated threats to paralyze tough policymakers. The demonstration of such rhetorical skill and the outmaneuvering of opponents is considered a source of pride and social status in Iran.\n<\/p>\n

        Strategic Patience<\/em>:<\/strong>\u00a0History has taught Persians and Shi\u2019ites to use the tactic of leveraging time as a primary strategy. By dragging out the diplomatic process, Iran\u2019s leaders shield themselves from external pressure. This weakens the efficacy of enemy sanctions, while Persian potentates simply wait for favorable shifts in global or domestic politics. The Persian proverb \u201cMuddy the waters, and you\u2019ll be able to catch the fish\u201d illustrates a common Iranian negotiation tactic: prolong discussions, obscure intentions, and exhaust the other party\u2019s patience before reaching an agreement. The delaying of action, the offering of superficial gestures to avoid real consequences \u2013 these tactics gain the upper hand by wearing opponents down and maximizing concessions. This strategy can also be called \u2018running down the clock.\u2019\n<\/p>\n

        Good Cop, Bad Cop:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Exploit the illusion of political pluralism within your own camp. Create a false tension for your enemy between supposed \u2018moderates\u2019 vs. \u2018hard-liners\u2019 in order to extract concessions \u2013 even though all power ultimately lies with the Shi\u2019ite Supreme Leader.\n<\/p>\n

        The Art of \u2018Not Breaking\u2019:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Tehran goes for agreements that do not box them in. They actively work to prevent adversaries from achieving a clear, visible victory, often offering cosmetic concessions that do not fundamentally alter their long-term ideological or nuclear goals.\n<\/p>\n

        Leveraging Coercion and Diplomacy Simultaneously:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0In our day, Iran expertly weaponizes the negotiation process by maintaining aggressive proxy networks or ramping up nuclear capabilities simultaneously, using these threats as direct leverage to extract concessions while framing the talks as the only alternative to military escalation.\n<\/p>\n

        Divide and Conquer:<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0Cause rifts within Western alliances and exploit them \u2013 between the U.S. and Europe and between the U.S. and Israel (n.b. VP Vance\u2019s veiled public threats to Israel).\n<\/p>\n

          \n
        • Unfortunately, while the Iranians are gold medal Olympic champions at this game, the Western world in general (and the USA in particular) are for the most part stuck back at the starting block.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Drowning the devil in his own words<\/strong><\/h3>\n

          Oded Ailam\u00a0is former head of\u00a0Mossad\u2019s Counterterrorism Division\u00a0and is currently\u00a0researcher\u00a0at the\u00a0Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs<\/em>. He\u00a0quotes\u00a0Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, one of the key figures in the nuclear negotiations between Iran and the United States, regarding his modus operandi in these talks: \u201cLike Ayatollah Khomeini once said, \u2018Drown the devil in words.\u2019 The goal is never to break off talks completely, but rather to create manageable crises \u2013 just as [we] did in 2015.\u201d This Persian perspective is essential for understanding Iran\u2019s gameplan in dealing with American diplomatic and military efforts.\n<\/p>\n

          A strong horse with no name<\/strong><\/h3>\n

          Lt. Col. (res.) Dr. Mordechai Kedar, senior research associate at the\u00a0Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies<\/em>, served for 25 years in IDF military intelligence specializing in Syria, Arab political discourse and mass media, Islamic groups and Israeli Arabs.\u00a0Kedar\u2019s take\u00a0on Middle Eastern \u2018warfare through negotiations\u2019 is worth reading: \u201cOnly a powerful, well organized, highly determined and militarily invincible Israel can stand a chance of surviving in its violent and merciless neighborhood.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

          This is known as \u2018the strong horse\u2019 principle. In mid-November 2001,\u00a0Osama Bin Laden\u00a0spoke\u00a0to a room of his supporters, discussing the September 11th terrorist attacks: \u201cWhen people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature, they will like the strong horse. This is [the] only goal \u2026 following the doctrine of Muhammad.\u201d Bin Laden saw Islam as the strong horse, and viewed Christian America as the weak one.\n<\/p>\n

          Journalist Lee Smith based the name of his book\u00a0The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations<\/em>\u00a0on Osama bin Laden\u2019s above-mentioned quote. In this work, Smith states that strength or \u201cviolence is central to the politics, society, and culture of the Arabic-speaking Middle East, and that Arab politics is driven by the \u2018strong horse\u2019 principle.\u201d \u201cBin Ladenism is not drawn from the extremist fringe but represents the political and social norm [of the Arabic-speaking Middle East].\u201d\u00a0 According to\u00a0T. Edward Donselm\u00a0(in the\u00a0Arab Studies Quarterly<\/em>), Smith sees\u00a0a revived modern Islamism\u00a0as an effort to employ the 1,400-year-old political institution of\u00a0jihad\u00a0as a tool to restore Sunni Islam to the\u00a0supremacism\u00a0it once enjoyed at Islam\u2019s beginning.\n<\/p>\n

          Agreeing with Dr. Kedar\u2019s appraisal, Daniel Pipes (director of the\u00a0Middle East Forum<\/em>\u00a0and Taube distinguished visiting fellow at the\u00a0Hoover Institution of Stanford University<\/em>)\u00a0applies\u00a0Bin Laden\u2019s \u2018strong horse\u2019 principle to Israel\u2019s role in the Middle East. Israel serves as \u2018a proxy strong horse\u2019 for both the United States and the Saudi-Egyptian bloc in the latter two nations\u2019\u00a0Cold War-type\u00a0rivalry with Iran.\n<\/p>\n

          Pipes specifically outlines the policies of non-Arab actors (like Iranians or Israelis) in the Arab world: unless they are forceful and show true staying power, they lose. \u201cBeing nice \u2013 say, withdrawing unilaterally from southern Lebanon and Gaza \u2013 leads to inevitable failure.\u00a0 More broadly, when the U.S. government flinches, others (e.g.,<\/em>\u00a0the Iranian leadership) have an opportunity to \u2018force their own order on the region.\u2019\u00a0Walid Jumblatt, a Lebanese Druze leader, has half-seriously suggested that Washington [should] \u2018send car bombs to Damascus\u2019 to get its message across and signal its understanding of Arab ways.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

            \n
          • Pipes concludes that Lee Smith\u2019s \u2018strong horse\u2019 paradigm helps us to comprehend the Islamic worlds\u2019 cult of death, honor killings, terrorist attacks, despotism and warfare. Pipes acknowledges that the strong-horse principle may strike Westerners as ineffably crude, but he correctly insists on its being a cold reality that outsiders must recognize, take into account, and respond to.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Trump may have been a master dealer in the real-estate world, but effectively grasping the above-described Middle Eastern ways and mindsets is a totally different kettle of fish. The Iranian dictatorship has been testing the POTUS. If they can get away with missile attacks on Israel, on the Gulf States or on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz \u2013 if they can violate ceasefire with impunity, and they see that Trump is not eager to make a big deal out of it \u2013 they will simply up their ante.\u00a0 The\u00a0Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps<\/em>\u00a0leadership already has ample proof that POTUS Trump cares more about the cost of gasoline at the American pump, about Republicans holding on to Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, and about how \u2018ceasefires\u2019 and \u2018peace deals\u2019 come across on mass media, than about the blunting of Iran\u2019s jihadi and expansionist goals in the Middle East.\n<\/p>\n

              \n
            • The entire Islamic world is carefully watching the West, and especially America. It watches \u2013 and concludes (at least at the negotiating table) that America is no longer the strong horse it used to be. Iran in particular watches with patience and shrewd humor as America tries to out-haggle the Persians at the nuclear bazaar.\u00a0\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              The War\u2019s Three Big Goals<\/strong><\/h3>\n

              POTUS Trump declared on February 28, 2026 that there were approximately four major war goals. He\u00a0posted\u00a0these in an eight-minute video on his Truth Social:\n<\/p>\n

                \n
              • \u201cThe United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We\u2019re going to\u00a0destroy their missiles<\/strong>\u00a0and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally again obliterated. We\u2019re going to\u00a0annihilate their navy<\/strong>. We\u2019re going to ensure that the region\u2019s\u00a0terrorist proxies<\/strong>\u00a0can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces . . . And we will ensure that Iran\u00a0does not obtain a nuclear weapon<\/strong>. It\u2019s a very simple message. They will never have a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                On March 4, 2026 White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt\u00a0rehearsed\u00a0this\u00a0list:\n<\/p>\n

                  \n
                • At the beginning of Operation Epic Fury, launched last weekend, President Trump laid out clear objectives to the American people on what the U.S. military seeks to accomplish through these major combat operations.\u00a0Number one<\/strong>, destroy the regime\u2019s deadly ballistic missiles and completely raze their missile industry to the ground.\u00a0Number two<\/strong>, annihilate the Iranian regime\u2019s navy.\u00a0Number three<\/strong>, Operation Epic Fury will ensure the regime\u2019s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the free world and attack our armed forces.\u00a0Number four<\/strong>, this mission will guarantee Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                  Have these goals been achieved?\n<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • The neutralizing of Iran\u2019s naval capabilities: US attacks destroyed 161 naval vessels and 90% of Iran\u2019s stockpile of 8,000 mines, yet\u00a0 Iran\u2019s capacity to disrupt ship traffic in the Strait of Hormuz is\u00a0<\/em>not weakened<\/em>\u00a0due to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps\u2019 (IRGC) fleet of\u00a0<\/em>hundreds to thousands<\/em>\u00a0of\u00a0<\/em>fast boats<\/em>\u00a0and land-based missile launchers which still serve as the primary threat to international shipping<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                      \n
                    • The attempted\u00a0<\/em>destruction<\/em>\u00a0of Iran\u2019s\u00a0<\/em>total<\/em>\u00a0enriched\u00a0<\/em>uranium stockpile<\/em>, permanently preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons: This fissile material at the end of February 2026 stood at: nearly 8,500 kg of 3.5 to 5% low-enriched uranium; roughly 1,000 kg of 20% enriched uranium; and over 440 kg of 60% enriched uranium. To add it all up, Iran possesses a total enriched uranium stockpile of roughly 10,000 kg, which includes over 440 kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity (very close to bomb quality). Iran\u2019s nuclear program has been significantly set back by US and Israeli attacks, but it is not permanently dismantled<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
                        \n
                      • The ending of Iran\u2019s ability to arm and finance allied proxy jihadi terror groups across the Middle East (proxy disruption, counterterrorism operations): Facts on the ground: Iran-supported\u00a0<\/em>Hezbollah<\/em>\u00a0drone and UAV attacks from Lebanon\u00a0<\/em>continue<\/em>, hitting Israeli civilian towns, kibbutzim and farms in\u00a0<\/em>Upper Galilee<\/em>, Nazareth, Haifa, the Carmel and the Lake of Galilee regions \u2013 most through fiber-optic wire-guided drones. US-Iran negotiations have avoided discussion of Iran\u2019s military and financial support for its proxy groups across the Middle East (Gazan Hamas, Lebanese Hezbollah, Iraqi Kata\u2019eb Hezbollah, and the Yemenite Houthis). These groups still pose a threat to Israel, to U.S. forces in the region and to international shipping routes<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        A\u00a0final point\u00a0in the\u00a0war goals\u00a0was originally\u00a0trumpeted\u00a0by the American President in his February 28, 2026 video, but the current\u00a0Memo of Understanding<\/em>\u00a0between the USA and Iran does not touch it \u2013 the savage oppression of the Iranian people.\n<\/p>\n

                          \n
                        • \u201cFinally, to the great proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don\u2019t leave your home. It\u2019s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations. For many years, you have asked for America\u2019s help. But you never got it. No president was willing to do what I am willing to do tonight. Now you have a president who is giving you what you want. So let\u2019s see how you respond. America is backing you with overwhelming strength and devastating force. Now is the time to seize control of your destiny, and to unleash the prosperous and glorious future that is close within your reach. This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                          The new America-Iran agreement simply sidesteps the IRGC\u2019s mass murder of Iranian civilians. It draws a blank regarding Trump\u2019s offer to back a civilian uprising against the Ayatollahs. This diplomatic avoidance of the issue of jihadi mass-murder leaves a black stain on America\u2019s credibility throughout the entire Middle East. It is similar to how England\u2019s Prime Minister Chamberlain made light of Nazi atrocities prior to WWII. Middle Eastern countries like Afghanistan, Bahrain, Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (as well as the Kurdish and Iranian peoples) are sitting up and taking notice: Who is the weak horse here and who is the strong horse in this equation?\n<\/p>\n

                          With this in mind, the emerging agreement is a betrayal of the Iranian people. Iranians took to the streets in an effort to overthrow the ayatollahs\u2019 regime and gain a measure of freedom. Trump encouraged them to continue their struggle. He promised that help was on the way. They listened. They marched. And tens of thousands were murdered. But now, as a result of this new Iran-America agreement, the future of the Middle East in general and of the Iranian people in particular has never seemed so hopeless. It is no longer clear whether moral values still have any significance in Middle Eastern\/international affairs. Iranian citizens have been abandoned, as have the Lebanese. They also had begun to feel that they might finally be freeing themselves from Iranian domination, which, through Hezbollah, has devastated Lebanon over recent decades and driven it into bankruptcy.\n<\/p>\n

                          A\u00a0new survey\u00a0by the\u00a0Israeli Democracy Institute<\/em>\u00a0(IDI) found a sharp decline in the share of Jewish Israelis who believe that POTUS Trump\u00a0views Israel\u2019s security as a significant consideration. Only 41% of Jewish respondents said Israel\u2019s security is a central consideration for Trump, down from 64% in March. Only 32% said they expect an agreement to eliminate Iran\u2019s ballistic missile threat, while 28% believe it would weaken the regime.\n<\/p>\n

                          A deal has just been digitally signed. Iran\u2019s Shi\u2019ite dictatorship is standing. America\u2019s enemy, though weakened and still very dangerous, is declaring victory. It is about to receive a financial booster-shot which will revive its jihadi proxies. Iran is turning its own military defeat into diplomatic gains \u2013 with America\u2019s help.\n<\/p>\n

                          To speak plainly: America has failed to defeat the IRGC. The Islamic Republic of Iran has stood up to what it sees as a lame duck US Presidency. Iran has survived the military clash and is now achieving its geostrategic goals \u2013 first and foremost of them being the blunting of US supremacy in the Middle East. Iran is now the up-and-coming superpower in the Persian Gulf \u2013 not Saudi Arabia and not Israel. The Master of \u2018The Art of the Deal\u2019 has been bested at the Persian bazaar.\n<\/p>\n

                          Israel \u2013 God\u2019s sifter of nations and YHVH\u2019s threshing sledge<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                          It\u2019s not easy being the President of the United States. In many ways it is a thankless job. Moses had some wise words for aspiring kings in\u00a0Deuteronomy 17:15-20; A solid ruler bases his rule on the solid Word of God. He who believes and follows YHVH\u2019s words will see his nation flourish:\n<\/p>\n

                            \n
                          • \u201cYou shall in fact appoint a king over you whom YHVH\u00a0your God chooses.\u00a0One\u00a0from among your countrymen you shall appoint as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves,\u00a0anyone\u00a0who is not your countryman.\u00a0In any case, he is not to acquire many horses for himself, nor shall he\u00a0make the people return to Egypt in order to acquire many horses, since\u00a0YHVH\u00a0has said to you, \u2018You shall never again return that way.\u2019\u00a0And\u00a0he shall not acquire many wives for himself, so that his heart does not turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself. Now it shall come about, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this Torah on a scroll\u00a0in the presence of the Levitical priests.\u00a0And it shall be with him, and he shall read it\u00a0all the days of his life, so that he will learn to fear YHVH\u00a0his God,\u00a0by carefully following all the words of this Teaching and these statutes,\u00a0so that his heart will not be haughty toward his countrymen,\u00a0and that he will not turn away from the commandment to the right or the left, so that he and his sons may\u00a0live long in his kingdom in the midst of Israel.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                            A leader, even one who rules over an amazing superpower like the United States, needs to make it his business to know what the God of Jacob thinks about the Jewish people, their calling, their gifts and their restoration as the key to world revival and restoration.\u00a0Genesis 12:1-3\u00a0is major point here, as it deals with the blessing and cursing of all nations and every individual \u2013 based on their treatment of and heart-attitude to Israel. Other passages include\u00a0Isaiah 41:15\u00a0and\u00a0Micah 4:13, where the Jewish people are prophetically described as a threshing sledge that YHVH will use to judge and defeat all nations.\n<\/p>\n

                            F-bombing one\u2019s way up the pilgrim\u2019s highway to Jerusalem<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                            President Richard Nixon was the darling of many American Evangelicals until the waves of\u00a0Watergate\u00a0crashed onto the back desk of the\u00a0Washington Post<\/em>. When\u00a0the tapes\u00a0Nixon had secretly recorded in the Oval Office became public domain, Bible believers like Billy Graham were\u00a0shocked, and the former President himself was\u00a0humiliated, confessing that the public exposure of his \u201cfoul words was the worst part of Watergate.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

                            Times have changed. One example: over the past year POTUS Trump has\u00a0f-bombed\u00a0the Israeli Prime Minister repeatedly on live telephone calls, and has proudly\u00a0admitted\u00a0these various occasions to the media (here,\u00a0here,\u00a0here\u00a0[\u201cIf there wasn\u2019t me, there would be no Israel\u201d] and\u00a0here). Trump\u2019s intemperate language reveals a carnal heart, and definitely crosses the boundary lines into\u00a0cursing.\n<\/p>\n

                            On June 24, 2025 Iran launched missiles into Israeli airspace after a Trump-brokered truce was supposed to have taken effect. Trump\u2019s\u00a0response\u00a0was to blame jihadi Iran and Israel equally: \u201cYou know what, we basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard they don\u2019t know what the f*** they\u2019re doing. Do you understand that?\u201d For the POTUS to draw a moral equivalence between jihadis and those opposing jihad in the same breath, indicates a profound lack of Middle Eastern understanding, and a spiritual dullness to boot.\n<\/p>\n

                            On June 8, 2026 Trump gave\u00a0an interview\u00a0to\u00a0The Financial Times<\/em>, expressing anger at Israel\u2019s reprisal response to Iranian strikes: \u201cBut they [the missile strikes on Israel] were attacks that did not kick at all. It\u2019s one of those things that\u2019s been going for 3,000 years, or 47 years, depending on how you count.\u201d Trump falsely ascribed the Iran-Israel conflict to 3,000-year-old dynamics. But that is just \u2018fake news.\u2019 The facts are rather different here: Iran and Israel had a highly positive relationship between 1967 and 1979, when Ayatollah Khomeini\u2019s jihadi revolution pushed Iran into the spiritual meat-grinder. Trump\u00a0communicated\u00a0to AXIOS news site later that day that he was about to call Bibi and order him not to retaliate against Iran, as Washington\u2019s priority was the closing of a deal with the Ayatollahs.\n<\/p>\n

                            \u201cAre you f***ing crazy. What are you f***ing doing? You\u2019d be in prison if it weren\u2019t for me. I\u2019m saving your ass. Everybody hates you now. Everybody hates Israel because of this!\u201d Trump\u00a0acknowledged\u00a0that Hezbollah had attacked Israel first, but stressed that the jihadi attacks had caused no real damage and that no one had been killed. He then\u00a0spoke\u00a0with a reporter, continuing to using foul language: \u201cWhy did Bibi have to do a f***ing attack? I was so p**sed off. I let him know. He has no f***ing judgement. I let him know that.\u201d Through that day Trump continued to curse Netanyahu over Israel\u2019s justified reprisals against Hezbollah and IRGC\u2019s jihadi attacks against Israeli civilians. Trump was angry that such justifiable reprisals might nevertheless explode the fragile \u2018Peace Deal\u2019 that he was\u00a0trying to cobble together\u00a0\u2013 even as the jihadi terror groups kept firing at Jewish people living in Israel.\n<\/p>\n

                            Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior officials did not publicly comment on the situation at the time, Israel\u2019s Ambassador to the United States, Yehiel Leiter,\u00a0wrote\u00a0on \ud835\udd4f: \u201cIran fired 11 ballistic missiles at Israel today. Each one of those missiles can level an entire neighborhood and kill hundreds. No self-respecting country in the world would tolerate such an attack, and neither will Israel.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

                            On Tuesday June 16, 2026, speaking at the G7 summit in \u00c9vian-les-Bains, France, alongside Qatar\u2019s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, Trump\u00a0boasted\u00a0like Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in\u00a0Daniel 4:30\u00a0and\u00a0Daniel 5:20: \u201cWithout the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel, because no other president was willing to do what I did. Israel would have been blown up a long time ago, had I not gotten involved.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

                              \n
                            • Such foul and prideful language reveals that the POTUS is not being guided by the God of Jacob\u2019s heart and values when it comes to issues regarding Israel, the apple of His eye (see\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Zechariah 2:8<\/em>).<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              Also at today\u2019s G7 Summit, Trump attacked Israel publicly and with great malice, accusing the Jewish state of genocidal behavior in Lebanon. Trump spoke approvingly of Syria\u2019s former al-Qaeda leader, declaring that Syria is a more reliable partner than Israel.\n<\/p>\n

                              Simultaneously, on Tuesday June 16, 2026 rumors have been quickly disseminated across media platforms by anonymous State Department sources, broadly hinting that Trump will soon be firing both his Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and his CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Both men have raised doubts (based on concrete NSA and CIA intercepts) that senior Iranian officials are not intending to comply with nuclear commitments, even if a final agreement is signed. Recorded SIGINT discussions between Iranian diplomats reveal strategies inconsistent with Iranian messages being conveyed to US negotiators.\n<\/p>\n

                              A massive Iranian bazaar-deception operation against POTUS Trump is in motion. Retired four-star Army General Jack Keene (former commander of the 101st\u00a0Airborne Division)\u00a0spoke\u00a0on FOX NEWS on Monday June 15, 2026, stating that America is getting played by a regime that has been lying and killing US citizens, terrorizing its way through the Middle East for decades \u2013 and now it looks like America is about to reward the IRGC for it.\n<\/p>\n

                                \n
                              • It seems that Iran has managed to use Persian bazaar techniques \u2013 this time \u2018divide and conquer\u2019 \u2013 to fragment the highest echelons of American political power.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                According to the\u00a0Institute for National Security Studies<\/em>\u00a0(INSS) researcher\u00a0Beni Sabti, Trump\u2019s foul-mouthed rebuke of PM Netanyahu \u201csends a message of Iranian victory, both on the battlefield and in terms of perception. The President of the United States is becoming an advocate for the Iranian regime. Iranian hubris is growing and growing. They see that the United States is stopping Israel, rebuking it, and not allowing it to attack. Hezbollah has suddenly recovered, and it turns out they have also created a split between Israel and the United States. This is a kind of enormous Iranian achievement. Israel is paying for the negotiations. There is no doubt that this is not good, but I am only putting things in context: beyond the statements and beyond the big, high rhetoric in Iran, what is happening right now is very heavy pressure.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

                                Here are three recent statements from the US Presidential team, revealing a quickly developing State Department trend to distance the USA from Israel when it comes to areas of Iranian influence in the Middle East. America is also sending a clear warning to Israel that upcoming American agreements with Iran will quite likely damage Israel\u2019s security:\n<\/p>\n

                                  \n
                                • Trump responded casually to those who were concerned about what type of deal he would achieve with Iran: \u201cJust sit back and relax. It will all work out in the end. It always does!\u201d the POTUS\u00a0<\/em>wrote<\/em>\u00a0on his Truth Social.<\/em><\/li>\n
                                • US President Donald Trump\u00a0<\/em>told<\/em>\u00a0Prime Minister Benjamin\u00a0<\/em>Netanyahu<\/em>\u00a0on Sunday June 7, 2026 that Bibi \u201cwon\u2019t have any choice\u201d but to accept whatever agreement Washington may reach with Iran, in an interview with\u00a0<\/em>The Financial Times<\/em>. \u201cHe won\u2019t have any choice. I call the shots. I call all the shots. He [Netanyahu] doesn\u2019t call the shots.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n
                                • US VP JD Vance\u00a0spoke\u00a0on FOX NEWS on Monday June 8, 2026, announcing that POTUS Trump will be declaring a settlement between Iran and America which will most probably not assure Israel that her security needs are being met: \u201cOver the last year and a half, we\u2019ve created the space necessary where the president believes \u2013 and I think that he\u2019s right \u2013 that we can get the long-term settlement to Iran\u2019s nuclear deal. Now, Israel may like that, they may not like that, but fundamentally, we think this is in the best interest of the United States of America.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n
                                • On\u00a0<\/em>June 8<\/em>, 2026 POTUS Trump\u00a0<\/em>told<\/em>\u00a0Israeli Channel 12: \u201cI told Bibi, you\u2019d better be careful what you do, because you could be left alone against Iran very soon.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                  As anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism wildcat within American society and in Western Europe, it is troubling to see how Iran has succeeded in driving a wedge between the USA and the Jewish state of Israel. And if (as it now seems to be happening) that Trump is truly committed to getting a deal with Iran resembling Obama\u2019s disastrously weak 2015 the\u00a0Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action<\/em>\u00a0(JCPOA), that divisive wedge may get larger. Iran\u2019s clearly stated purpose is both Israel\u2019s destruction and an endless war on the West. Diplomacy that is based on tolerating or trusting Iran\u2019s leaders to keep their word on nuclear or on any other issues is a trap that wise policymakers should avoid.\n<\/p>\n

                                  Until quite recently, Trump has been the strongest pro-Israel President ever. \u00a0If any President should be defending Israel against the growing \u2018genocide in Gaza\u2019 slander, it\u2019s Trump. Yet incrementally Trump seems to be quickly approaching the type of \u2018blame Israel for defending itself\u2019 rhetoric expected from someone like Rashida Tlaib or the European Union. The sound of a ticking clock is being heard again, but this time it is in Washington D.C.\n<\/p>\n

                                  Some of us hoped that the budding relationship between Netanyahu and Trump would lead to unprecedented coordination \u2013 which recently happened on the tactical level. The joint strikes against Iran were a stunning military achievement, but tactical cooperation did not translate into strategic alignment.\n<\/p>\n

                                  Israel has clearly declared it is not a party to the US-Iran deal, yet officials in Jerusalem fear that Trump\u2019s MOU could restrict the IDF\u2019s freedom of action against Hezbollah in Lebanon. Member of Knesset Itamar Ben-Gvir speaks for the majority of Israelis when\u00a0he says:\n<\/p>\n

                                    \n
                                  • \u201cTrump\u2019s agreement does not bind us. Israel is obligated to defend its citizens and soldiers. Israel is not subordinate to the United States \u2014 we are an independent and sovereign country. My position is clear: we are not partners to this agreement, which does not ensure our security, and it is not binding upon us in any way. We must not compromise on anything less than the dismantling of Hezbollah; we must not withdraw from any territory our fighters have captured and cleared of terrorist infrastructure; we must not return to a situation where thousands of terrorists sit on the fences of northern communities; and we must certainly not remain silent in the face of any fire directed at the State of Israel.\u201d<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                    \u201cIs there not here another prophet of the\u00a0Lord\u00a0of whom we may inquire?\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                    POTUS Trump, VP JD Vance, and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner are all on board the \u2018Peace Train,\u2019 and they have\u00a0announced: \u201cThe Deal with the Islamic Republic of Iran is now complete. Congratulations to all!<\/em>\u201d Yet there are some other voices who express major concerns and doubts about Iran\u2019s reliability and credibility. These\u00a0include\u00a0CIA Director John Ratcliffe who told Donald Trump and other senior officials that evidence gathered by U.S. intelligence agencies raises serious doubts about Iran\u2019s willingness to make the nuclear concessions the U.S. is seeking in any final deal. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth both expressed concerns and raised questions about the memorandum of understanding. \u201cThe intelligence reflects that the Iranian intentions are not in line with their commitments under the deal,\u201d\u00a0said a source\u00a0present at those discussions. \u201cI am somewhat concerned that Iran\u2019s view of the agreement seems different than what the American negotiating team is claiming,\u201d Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)\u00a0told Axios.\n<\/p>\n

                                    Washington\u2019s overriding priority<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                    Washington\u2019s overriding priority is not the disarmament of Hezbollah, nor the preservation of Israeli deterrence along its northern border. It is not the rolling back of jihadi terror armies like Hamas, Hezbollah, Kata\u2019eb Hezbollah in Iraq, or the Yemenite Houthis. It is not even the liberation of the Lebanese and Iranian civilians from their jihadi slave-masters. America\u2019s dominant priority is the prevention of a scenario where the Hormuz Strait and the Bab al-Mandab Strait are closed by Iran, sending crude oil prices beyond $150 a barrel \u2013 especially just before an election or in the middle of a fragile economic recovery. Every other consideration pales in comparison.\n<\/p>\n

                                    In the not-too-distant future, a new administration will be coming to Washington. As former POTUS Obama\u00a0declared\u00a0in 2014, \u201cI\u2019ve got a pen, and I\u2019ve got a phone!\u201d Perhaps the sunniest days of the America-Israel alliance are now behind us.\n<\/p>\n

                                    The God of Jacob \u2013 the holy Master of the Deal<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                    The Hebrew Bible is well aware of the craftiness of men and women, and how the lure of the market blinds even the best of hearts:\n<\/p>\n

                                      \n
                                    • \u201cIt\u2019s a bad deal; It\u2019s a bad deal!\u201d says the buyer \u2013 and\u00a0then goes off and boasts about the purchase (Proverbs 20:14, my translation)<\/em><\/li>\n
                                    • \u201cBehold, I have found only this, that God made people upright, but they have sought out many\u00a0schemes\u201d (Ecclesiastes 7:29)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                      It is impossible to \u2018pull a fast one\u2019 on the God of Israel. He sees the plots of the dealers, whether they be businessmen or diplomats, and He always has \u2018something up His sleeve\u2019 \u2013 especially when it comes to those who intend to cause harm to His Jewish people:<\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

                                        \n
                                      • \u201cTo the pure You show Yourself\u00a0pure, but to the devious\u00a0You show Yourself\u00a0shrewd\u201d (Psalm 18:26)<\/em><\/li>\n
                                      • \u201cLet\u00a0all the earth fear YHVH! Let all the inhabitants of the world\u00a0stand in awe of Him. For\u00a0He spoke, and it was done; He commanded, and it\u00a0stood firm. YHVH nullifies the plan of nations; He frustrates the plans of peoples. The\u00a0plan of YHVH\u00a0stands forever, the\u00a0plans of His heart from generation to generation\u201d (Psalm 33:8-11)<\/em><\/li>\n
                                      • \u201cHe sets on high those who are lowly, and those who mourn are lifted to safety. He\u00a0frustrates the schemes of the shrewd, so that their hands cannot attain success. He\u00a0captures the wise by their own cleverness, and the advice of the cunning is quickly thwarted. He\u00a0frustrates the schemes of the shrewd, so that their hands cannot attain success\u201d (Job 5:11-13)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                        When the Prince of Persia meets the King of Israel<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                        The Scriptures draw back the veil and reveal to us what is going on behind the scenes, especially in the realm of the spirit. Lurking behind the rulers of Iran is an ancient demonic principality \u2013 the Prince of Persia. The Angel Gabriel conveys this revelation to Daniel the prophet, explaining that the machinations of Persia\/Iran are a strategic part of spiritual warfare on this planet. What is transpiring in Tehran and in Washington is also part of God\u2019s Last Days hook, as Ezekiel tells us:\n<\/p>\n

                                          \n
                                        • \u201cBut the prince of the kingdom of Persia was standing\u00a0in my way for twenty-one days; then behold,\u00a0Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I had been left there with the kings of Persia\u201d (Daniel 10:13)<\/em><\/li>\n
                                        • Then he said, \u201cDo you\u00a0understand why I came to you? But I shall now return to fight against the prince of Persia; so I am leaving, and behold, the\u00a0prince of\u00a0Greece is about to come\u201d (Daniel 10:20)<\/em><\/li>\n
                                        • Now the word of YHVH\u00a0came to me, saying,\u00a0\u201cSon of man, set your face toward\u00a0Gog of the land of\u00a0Magog, the\u00a0chief prince of\u00a0Meshech and\u00a0Tubal, and prophesy against him,\u00a0and say, \u2018This is what ADONAI YHVH\u00a0says: \u201cBehold, I am against you, Gog, chief prince of Meshech and Tubal.\u00a0So I will turn you around and put hooks into your jaws, and I will\u00a0bring you out, and all your army,\u00a0horses and horsemen, all of them magnificently dressed, a great contingent\u00a0with\u00a0shield and\u00a0buckler, all of them wielding swords;\u00a0Persia<\/strong>,\u00a0Cush, and\u00a0Put with them, all of them with buckler and helmet<\/em>\u201d\u00a0(Ezekiel 38:1-5)<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                          More than most countries, Iran is \u2018notorious\u2019 in biblical prophecy. \u00a0As the\u00a0Cambridge Dictionary<\/em>\u00a0explains, \u2018notorious\u2019 is the state of being widely known or famous, specifically for a negative reason, such as a scandalous event, immoral behavior, or a notorious crime. \u2018Notoriety\u2019 implies a person or thing is famously infamous.\n<\/p>\n

                                            \n
                                          • Present interactions between Iran and America have ominous significance.<\/em><\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                            When the prophet Ezekiel describes the famous End of Days battle known as the \u2018War of Gog and Magog,\u2019 he names the nations involved which come against Israel in a vain attempt to crush and destroy the Jewish state. Ezekiel 38:5 begins the list with the nation of Persia. Modern Iran holds a priority place on the apocalyptic list of YHVH\u2019s enemies. Handle with care and with prayer!\n<\/p>\n

                                            How shall we then pray?<\/strong><\/h3>\n
                                              \n
                                            • Pray that the God of Jacob will break through to America\u2019s leadership and grant them revelation to successfully recognize, confront and block jihadi and Prince of Persia evils<\/em><\/li>\n
                                            • Pray that spiritual deception will be broken and nullified over America\u2019s leadership, some who seem to be choosing to side with the jihadi anti-Israel forces of Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Qatar and Iran<\/em><\/li>\n
                                            • Pray for the entire people of Israel to be protected and preserved from their enemies (see\u00a0<\/em>Luke 1:68-75<\/em>), and that they would seek and find salvation in Messiah Yeshua<\/em><\/li>\n
                                            • Pray for the raising up of Ezekiel\u2019s prophetic Jewish army throughout the earth!<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                              Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the very practical enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do.\n<\/p>\n

                                              In Messiah Yeshua,\n<\/p>\n

                                              Avner Boskey\n<\/p>\n

                                              Share your prayers for America and Israel below.<\/h4>\n

                                              This article was originally published at David\u2019s Tent. Photo Credit: Official White House Photo by Daniel Torok.<\/em>
                                              \n \n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                                              Reading Time: 22 minutes In 1987 Tony Schwartz (with Donald J. Trump listed as co-author) released a ghost-written book called \u2018The Art of the Deal.\u2019 Part business-advice and part memoir, it reached #1 on the\u00a0New York Times\u00a0Best Seller list. Trump\u2019s subsequent hit reality television show,\u00a0The Apprentice, opened with a line based on that book: \u201cI\u2019ve<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":27845,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[876,940,2803,9884],"class_list":["post-29755","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-prayer","tag-dealing","tag-east","tag-middle","tag-wheeling"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29755","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=29755"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29755\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27845"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=29755"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=29755"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/biblelon.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=29755"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}