Evil is exposed. Evil is attacked. Decisively — we hope.
As Israel attacked Iran on June 13 — a country 50 times the size with nine times the population of Israel — Jews around the world turned to Psalms, Tehillim. Just as Jews did on June 5, 1967, as the Six Day War began. Miraculous events ensued, but this was not known at the time, and this indeed is precisely what Jews prayed for.
As it turned out, by June 14 Jews knew that within two hours of Israel’s attack on Iran, Israel’s amazing intelligence operatives had disabled much of Iran’s capacity to respond. At which time we wondered whether it was now time to say Hallel, the psalms of praise and thankgiving.
Of course, the war against Iran continued and there were painful losses of life and property in Israel. It is often forgotten that there were losses of life and property in Israel during the Six Day War, too. Victory and miracles come with a price, now as then.
As late as last Saturday, June 21 — just hours before the United States dropped the decisive 30,000-pound bunker busters on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility — a major American newspaper could write on is front page: “Iran has remained defiant [at the demand by the Trump administration and top European officials], raising doubt about whether a negotiated solution can be found.”
Whether a negotiated solution can be found.
If ever there were a perfect definition of, and example of, illusion, this is it. There was never going to be a negotiated solution with the ayatollahs in Iran — fanatics down to their cuticles. This is not Monday-morning quarterbacking, wisdom after the fact. We might cite numerous early warnings from this page, but will suffice with a single one:
Iran says it is interested in “serious discussions” about its nuclear program, while simultaneously banning inspectors from its nuclear facilities. Iran defends its “inalienable right” to develop nuclear facilities, while simultaneously denying that they will have any military application — a charade. But a dangerous charade.
This is an excerpt from an IJNeditorial published . . . August 25, 2006. The headline was, “Surprised? Iran bobs and weaves . . . again.”
Again. Even in 2006, it was perfectly clear to anyone who did not delude himself that Iran was not going to negotiate an end to its nuclear program. When a country declares its fervent desire and goal to destroy another country — when Iran says “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” — there is every reason to see a nuclear ambition for what it is: a means to destroying another country and to threaten others.
Yet, George W. Bush, who was president in 2006, was deluded about Iran. Equally deluded: Barack Obama, with his ridiculous nuclear deal, with $400,000,000 in cash and all. Equally deluded: Donald Trump in his first term, whose sanctions were also ridiculous, as if genuine, unadulterated, religious fanatics can be bought off. Equally deluded: Joe Biden, who kept begging Iran to come back to the negotiating table that they wouldn’t even sit at togther with America’s diplomats they were supposedly negotiating with.
Not to mention the deluded media types and diplomats around the world, all the way down to last Saturday, June 21, 2025: “doubt about whether a negotiated solution can be found.”
There was never any doubt except except in the minds of the deluded. It was perfectly clear what Iran was doing and why. Peaceful nuclear programs are not hidden underneath mountains. Electronic monitors are not turned off. UN inspectors are not kept out. Continuous denunciations of and genocidal threats against the “Zionist entity” are not uttered.
There is, of course, one person who has come to transcend his delusions on Iran, and that is President Donald Trump. In one fell swoop last Saturday he struck Iran’s nuclear program with the most powerful non-nuclear weapons on the planet. He was, of course, decisively aided by the most stalwart anti-nuclear Iran leader of all, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Just as President Biden told Netanyahu not to attack Hezbollah, and Netanyahu did anyway — making the Middle East a tremendously safer place — President Trump told Netanyahu not to attack Iran, and Netanyahu did anyway — making the entire world a tremendously safer place.
We say to Prime Minister Netanyahu and President Trump, simply, the same two words that Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion said to the “Lavender Hill Mob,” Denver’s underground group of heroes who shipped armaments to Israel as it faced extinction during its War of Independence in 1948: “Thank you.”
Not that we can be assured that the Iran challenge is over. Trump’s claim of total destruction of Fordow might be typical Trumpian braggadocio. Perhaps certain elements of Iran’s nuclear program escaped Israel’s and America’s bombs. Perhaps Iranian leaders, now or in the future, will be stupid enough and fanatical enough to try to rebuild its nuclear program. But this much we know:
• First: Israel has wisely and effectively felt itself free to attack Hezbollah when it violates the ceasefire put in place last November, and Israel will act the same with Iran.
• Second: Israel has decimated Iran’s air defenses and much of its missiles and missile launchers. It would only take a single successful launch of a single nuclear weapon for Iran to wreak havoc, but Iran now knows that Israel is on the watch, Israel has infiltrated Iranian intelligence and Israel is not hesitant to act.
• Third: President Trump has restored the American deterrence that was so tragically and shamefully squandered by President Biden in his reckless withdrawal from Afghanistan. Here, too, however, we cannot discount Trump’s penchant to say things and do things in a way that shines the light on him. We cannot forget that just as Trump backed away from his attack on the Houthis, he could do the same regarding Iran.
It would be valuable, of course, if Israel continued to strike Iranian missile sites and other critical infrastructure for more than 12 days. But it is also good for Israel to go home. Israel’s troops are strained. Israel has suffered loss of life and property, piled on top of its great losses on Oct. 7, 2023 and the ensuing war. Israel’s people are beset with PTSD and other mental health issues from the long war against Hamas. Israel’s munitions and funds are severely drained. Israel’s displaced persons are still not back fully home in Israel’s north. The hostages are still held.
A truce is good for Israel, for now at least.
Who would have ever thought we would see in our lifetimes the evisceration of Hamas, the decapitation of Hezbollah, the defeat of Iran? We are living in historic times. We still need Psalms, Tehillim, even as we have a right to cautious optimism and Hallel.
© IJN 2025
