What we have here is not a cool-hand-luke failure to communicate, but a failure, by the Trump administration, to comprehend its Muslim enemies — Shi’a Iran and the Sunni Muslim Brotherhood — which despite their differences are united on the need, as Muhammad himself said, for “Islam to dominate and not to be dominated.”
A British journalist has cast a cold eye on American policy in the Middle East, with particular attention to the soi-disant Board of Peace, and is alarmed by what she sees. More about her scathing review of that policy can be found here: “Wise up, America!,” by Melanie Phillips, JNS, August 21, 2026:
America has changed its approach to Iran. Again.
A week ago, U.S. President Donald Trump said he was calling off the biggest military attack since World War II because a deal with Iran was imminent. Now he’s announced “economic D-Day,” with Iran being subjected to “economic warfare and isolation on an unprecedented scale,” and that any country providing any kind of lifeline “will itself face TREMENDOUS economic consequences.”
An economic blockade is indeed a ferocious strategy of war. But it’s nevertheless a desperate move to end the current impasse, which is due to Trump’s obsessive belief in the art of the deal.
This rests on a naivety which presents a fundamental problem when dealing with the Middle East and Islamic world.
Deal-making relies on self-interest. This, however, just doesn’t apply when dealing with apocalyptic and messianic religious fanatics who believe they are doing the work of God himself in destroying Israel and America.
It means not only that Trump fails to grasp the implacable nature of the Shi’ite Iranian regime, and the fact that it views any negotiation merely as an opportunity to regroup and re-weaponize while playing the Americans for suckers. It also means a failure to understand the significance of Iran’s vital strategic allies, the Sunni Islamists of the Muslim Brotherhood who sit on a continuum that encompasses al-Qaeda and ISIS….
Earlier this week, Israeli forces conducted an airstrike deep inside northwestern Syria, which reportedly cratered a Syrian airbase….
That was the Abu Al-Duhur airbase, which the Israelis discovered the Turkish army was preparing to take over; indeed, the very morning of the day of the attack, Turkish officers had been visiting the base in preparation for the deployment of their soldiers.
At first, al-Sharaa was exploring the possibility of accepting Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights in return for aid and diplomatic respectability. But now, Syria is demanding that Israel vacate the Golan Heights, which are vital for northern Israel’s protection.
Syria launched two attacks on Israel from the Golan Heights, in both 1948 and in 1967. In the Six-Day War, the IDF seized the Golan. The Israelis annexed that area in 1981. No Israeli is prepared to give up the Golan; it is essential that it be kept, in order to head off a potential invasion from Syria — not necessarily by Syrians alone — into the northern Galilee.
And this week, Syrian army soldiers were filmed outside the historic Damascus Citadel chanting: “I am coming for you, Jew … I will make your blood flow in rivers.”
Such a bloodthirsty chant, no doubt expressing the views of the regime in Damascus, makes one wonder why Trump keeps saying he “admires” al-Sharaa as a “strong leader.” So was Saddam Hussein, and so was Ayatollah Khomeini. Trump also appears to have swallowed whole this cosmetic makeover of al-Sharaa as a “moderate” who is “prepared to make peace with Israel.” He’s prepared to make that peace only if the Golan is returned to him. And after that were to happen — don’t worry, it won’t — all bets would. be off about that short-lived “peace.”
Turkey continues to provide Hamas with financial support and safe haven for its terrorist leaders. Erdoğan also routinely employs anti-Israel rhetoric. In June, he accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of “following the path of Hitler,” while Turkey’s interior minister called for the “liberation of Jerusalem.”…
In addition, in December 2024, Erdogan called for the creation of a pan-Islamic military alliance that could take on, defeat, and impliedly destroy, the Jewish state. Erdogan left no doubt that he thought the natural leader of that army should be none other than Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The United States is exhibiting the same naivety or worse over Hamas. It’s absolutely jaw-dropping that Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law and senior aide, met Hamas leaders last weekend in Cairo. His aim was to break the impasse caused by a row between Israel and Hamas over the Board of Peace initiative for a permanent agreement in Gaza….
Jared Kushner may understand cryptocurrency and suchlike roads to unsavory wealth, but when it comes to the Middle East and the Muslim mind, he’s a naif. He doesn’t realize that when you meet with a terror group, you are treating it as a legitimate interlocutor, instead of dealing with it as beyond the pale. Hamas, emboldened, now feels it has a seat at the table and must be heeded.
Maria V says
I do believe WWIII is coming. Trump is a fool for thinking he can make Peace with or Any kind of Treaty with the Devil.
They have been playing him and he’s taken the bait.
Taffy says
I don’t think that Trump is that naive. I think that Trump needs a workaround for our short supply of Patriot missiles so that when we do choose to attack Iran, we can protect our bases and our allies’s infrastructure from Iranian missiles.
And I agree that WWIII may be near, but it will be most likely seeded in a Turkey vs. Israel conflict. Al-Sharaa invited Turkish troops to utilize Syria’s airbase near Aleppo, and Turkey delivered lots of supplies to support their imminent transfer of troops there. Israel did not appreciate this incursion and bombed the base a few days ago, including its structures and runways. Of course both Syria and Turkey denied military build up at the facility, but Israel had hard evidence of Turkey’s intentions. Israel sent an emergency “secret” [actually not so secret] delegation to Turkey to direct them to stay out of Syria.
We’ll see if Turkey listens. If not, that will be the match that lights up the Middle East and possibly the world. Hopefully Erdoğan now knows that Israel knows, and he will safely keep his troops and air force within Turkish borders.
Ken Murphy says
Every single person who has doubted our fearless leader DJT or second guessed him has been proven wrong. Trump doesn’t really think that he can make a deal with these people .. he’s simply making them think that he does. POTUS is playing 3-D Chess and the mullahs are playing checkers. Don’t doubt him and don’t play the ‘Monday Morning Quarterback’ cuz’ he’s way smarter than all of you knuckleheads put together.
gravenimage says
Sadly, while he is–thankfully–solidly anti-Jihad, President Trump has sadly shown many times that he does not understand much about Islam itself.
Remember when he condemned anyone for daring to draw a cartoon critical of “Prophet” Muhammad–and said that critics deserved what they got? How is this “3-D chess”?
Taffy says
Open your eyes and supercharge your brain y’all, and analyze what Trump and his military planners are doing. This is not a pure economic blockade. A few destroyers in the Arabian Sea could blockade the whole Persian Gulf without needing any carriers nearby. So what are the USS H.W. Bush and the USS Abraham Lincoln and 20 other warships doing there, with the USS George Washington on its way? Hint: It’s not to shop the Labor Day sales or for a grand Saturday night pizza party. [Every Saturday night on US aircraft carriers is pizza night], Someone is waiting for orders to let loose on Iran. Sit back and wait for the fireworks to begin. My guess is it will be soon, because Russian ships are now headed to Iran across the Caspian Sea, to bring Iran TNT and rocket fuel for their missile manufacture, things that Iran can no longer make themselves due to the U.S. and Israel taking out their chemical plants. Those chemical plants were huge facilities and could not have been hidden.
Rick Gordon says
I don’t understand why our government and other western countries do not see the long term consequences of ‘negotiating’ with terrorists. It is not possible to ‘deal ‘ with those who believe more in death and martyrdom than life and freedom. They have no appreciation for western civilization today and will not ‘discover’ any in the future.
gravenimage says
Yes–you cannot make a deal with someone bent on murdering you.To make a deal the deal makers have to be at least generally rational.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Until a few weeks ago, a lot of posters here, including Hugh and Robert, were very critical of Trump pulling back the threats at the 11th hour, and I too believed that they encouraged weekness. However, the opening up of a new paradigm in this war – economic retaliation – and the launch of Operation Economic Fury, has changed my mind. Scott Bessant has turned out to be even more useful than Pete Hegseth in this leg of the war
As people who read me here know, I follow the Iranian channels of Armin Navabi and Ali Samani (both Atheists who’ve apostatized from islam), to watch their daily analysis of the war. Among other things, they produce “Aligrams” – Telegram messages of supporters of the islamic regime. Watching their analysis of all this made a few things clear
⮞ In the islamic republic, the economic pain of fuel shortages, energy shortages and hyperinflation, which so far had only been hitting the average Iranian who hates the regime, has finally caught up the regime supporters. This includes members of the Basij, IRGC and Artesh. Today, the news was that due to food refrigeration no longer getting the 24/7 power needed, those people, like Iranian soldiers and security people, are getting spoiled food
⮞ In the meantime, the head of their banking system came out yesterday and openly admitted what everyone knows – that Iran hasn’t sold any oil last month, and are out of money. Their constant attacks on the Emirates, despite the latter paying them, has resulted in Abu Dhabi finally deciding to cut off economic links w/ them, and no longer enable their money laundering activities which was keeping them afloat. Part of this was Scott Bessant’s interventions, and part of it was the Emiratis coming to the realization that they’ll be attacked by the islamic republicans no matter what. So the banks are completely out of cash, so even a bank run won’t work anymore. It’s even worse than the situation in Russia
⮞ In the meantime, the islamic regime has decided to curb the “Death to America” demonstations that are routine for regime supporters. In Mashhad, at the shrine of the 8th Imam Reza, visitors who wanted to chant “Death to America” or “Death to Trump” were silenced by security personnel at the shine. That was the news 2 days ago. Yesterday, the visitors came holding placards calling for “Revenge for the death of the supreme leader” at the same place. Note that this is the same city Ali Khamenei was from, but even then, those placards were confiscated. In other words, to somehow signal to the US that the regime has changed (which it hasn’t), these expressions of hatred for America – something that the people were inculcated w/ over the last 47 years – is being censored
⮞ So in the “Aligrams”, where islamic Republicans (as opposed to ordinary Iranians who are opposed to the regime, and most of whom have discarded islam) post their views, there is a civil war going on b/w them. One side is w/ the IRGC and blames the government I.e. Pezeshkian, Ghalibaf and Ejei for still engaging in the negotiations. The other side is w/ them and pointing out that the islamic military as well as the IRGC is in no position to do a thing to the US, which is true. End result is that regime supporters, who are 5% of the population, are at each other’s throats, while the leadership tries to figure out which side has the majority. Armin’s theory here is that the islamic regime needs this block of supporters to stand w/ them if they are to survive, but now that the economic hardship has hit them as well, that’s an interesting thing to watch. One thing Armin & Ali said was that if you are feeling hopeless about the current situation, know that the supporters of the islamic regime are feeling even more hopeless
They also pointed out that Operation Economic Fury has worked so well that now when the regime wants to negotiate, the US is in no mood to accept their terms, and is ratcheting up the demands, which is great to watch. Like for instance, a few days ago, Trump demanding the the islamic republic pay compensation – a counter-demand to the islamic demands that the US pay compensation and release all the frozen assets from pre-1979. End result is that Ghalibaf looks discredited, and that since he’s realized that the US is in no mood for negotiations, he now backs a military strike, but is incapable of doing it given that they can’t even pay their troops
The problem both these factions have – if Ghalibaf, Pezeshkian and the others are toppled, than the IRGC leadership – Vahidi, Razai (sp?)…. would have to be the ones negotiating w/ the US, and that would make them the focus of ire of the regime supporters. Otoh, if Vahidi & the IRGC side is eliminated, then there is no reason for the US to negotiate squat w/ Ghalibaf, since at that point, the Iranian people might as well just revolt and invite in the Pahlavi team. So both these sides, as much as they currently hate each other, are stuck w/ each other
My take from all of this: we are in the driver’s seat, although ideally, we should try and wrap that up by October, so that if the regime collapses then, then we can celebrate a victory just in time for the November elections. Some of this is a part of the islamic regime’s calculations as well: they want to last until Election Day, and launch their attack after that, assuming a (D) victory. At any rate, if their theory is right, then the way we are conducting this is just brilliant, and if we can find tune the timing of the end, that will end up being the coup de grace
Wellington says
Thanks for that assessment, Infidel. Two concerns remain for me. First, even assuming what Trump, Bessent, Hegseth, Rubio, et al. are doing is brilliant, this to date doesn’t matter that much because the American public, strongly influenced by the Democrats and MSM (excuse the redundancy), overwhelmingly doesn’t detect that brilliance and thinks matters are at a stalemate with still high gas prices. As so often the case, the perception of things influences people more than does reality when the two are not the same. 2) The Iranian people overall may very well be fed up with Islam and the regime but many people can be fed up with something and still do little about it. Perhaps most of the bravest Iranians fed up with things have already been killed. Put another way, what are the Iranian people waiting for? The Iranian regime militarily and economically has been devastated and yet still it persists.
Raja says
Infidel, I fully agree with all that you have observed/stated. In fact your analysis is almost without spot. I would summarize with a few lines of what is understood so far and what we need to be careful about.
A wounded bear is more dangerous than…. there must caution for Trump and team. With all the dragging (of war) so far it is increasingly getting clearer that the Satanic regime might be fully be prepared to take along millions of people along it when they go down eventually. This needs to be taken into account as the regime won’t mind doing a Wacko (as was done in Texas decades ago)
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Raja, thanks for your observations
Wellington
One practice I have is that if I want to know about what’s going on in another country, I try to follow people from those countries if they do their shows in English. I do that for Israel, for Russia, for Iran and most recently, for Ukraine. I thereby get a firsthand account of what’s going on there
If we are worried about the November elections, then what opinion polls think about this war matters. But I’m judging it by what the Iranian people, actually very specifically islamic supporters of the regime, think about it. If the commentators of CNN, MS-NOW and the DSA candidates were right, then those islamic supporters in Iran would have been celebrating their glorious victories over US. Except that they’re not, b’cos they’re experiencing something that tells them that the era of islamic rule in Iran is coming to an end, if it hasn’t already. Like in the city that Khamenei is buried, demonstrators are not allowed to demonstrate for revenge. How unthinkable is that?
As for the Iranians, I partly agree w/ you: this won’t be a bloodless revolution, much as they may desire it. That said, I do think that sometimes, Machiavellian techniques are called for, and it’s absolutely brilliant splitting the 5% of Iranians who support this regime and setting them against each other. Also, the Iraqi government is doing what it can to disarm the Popular Mobilization Force, which currently provides the bulk of the IRGC stormtroopers: that would cut off a major contributor of their forces. There are also shi’a militias from both Afghanistan and Pakistan who are there in Iran to back up the regime, so something needs to be done about them as well
One more thing I forgot to mention above: the islamic republicans even attacked some Chinese ships for getting oil from Iraq instead of Iran. Since Iraq’s only avenue at the moment is Hormuz, their economy too has been battered, which is why they have been offering oil at deep discounts, and the Chinese have been buying from them, instead of the IRGC. Result has been the IRGC attacking the Chicoms, leaving Beijing pretty miffed. Right now, there are some Iranian tankers in the China Seas, but once they’re emptied, it’s over – and that’s currently 4 months worth of oil in those tankers. But hopefully, on Monday, Scott Bessant announces policies to cut off those Chicom banks that are participating in these transactions, so that the islamic republic can’t get paid even for that, leaving all those tankers stranded in the China Seas
Wellington says
Thanks for your reply, Infidel. Well, I certainly hope that the November elections don’t reward the Democratic Party, which by the year has become ever increasingly the chief enemy of America and the number one ally of something as putrid as the still-in-control Iranian regime.
I must say that my two major concerns still remain unallayed, that perception among Americans of what is going on with the Iran war to date is not helping Trump, and that if the Iranian people are not ready to do something positive for themselves and for all mankind now, when will such a time come? I mean how much more of an opportunity do the Persian people “require” to take back their nation? Put another way, I still remain very wary of hope placed into the Persian people. Hope I am too negative here.
gravenimage says
Good exchange.
John Smith says
+1
James Lincoln says
Infidel,
Excellent post, and I certainly hope that your correct.
But the United States has to find some way to effectively arm the Iranian citizen resistance to the IRGC in order to make way for Reza Pahlavi – or someone similar.
Perhaps the Israelis could help in that effort.
There’s always the possibility that things are being done “behind the scenes”, but there is no way to know…
John Smith says
I agree with you James it is an excellent post
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Yeah, James, that is one of the requests Iranians are sending to people who collect their reels: “Arm us!” Hopefully, a clandestine campaign to vet and arm those Iranians is underway, and that we are simply not hearing about them
Patrick says
Iran, the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas all know they’ve conquered America because Trump is uneducated on Islam, Trump and his moronic administration, bend over for Islam at every peace meeting of idiot minds (USA) and Muslim terrorists who have excelled at taqiyya for the last 500 year
AMERICA is compromised at this critical point in time, we’re either conquered by Islam, or we’re not but, with Trump leading the negotiations, Sharia Law for all of us, isn’t that far around the corner.
President Trump isn’t doing a damn thing about the Islamization of America, because he has al Sharaa in his other ear. Abbott and de Santis are leading the way. 🥷🏻🤬🥷🏻🇺🇸🥷🏻🤬🥷🏻
࿗Infidel࿘ says
At this point, I’m rooting for DeSantis in 2028, hoping that he runs. Neither Vance nor Rubio is acceptable to me, the way I see them at the moment
Walter Sieruk says
The ruling heads of the different countries of Europe should not criticize President Trump when he ordered the United States Air Force start bombing on February 28,2026 the nuclear missiles sites and nuclear weapon manufacturing centers in that dangerous and belligerent Islamic regime of Iran, on 02/28/26 and had the US Air Force continued to do so for some time.
In fact ruling heads of the different countries of Europe approve of and congratulate him for taking such action. One of the reasons why this is so is because leaders of any good government have a duty to protect and ensure the security safety and lives of its citizens.
For that hostile Islamic tyranny of Iran poses a threat to the people who are the citizens of the different nations of Europe.
For example, years before that current conflict that menacing Islamic regime started on 2/28/2026 in was revealed “The acquisition pf more sophisticated rocket delivery system makes the situation in Iran even more ominous. Iran’s missiles can reach not only Israel but much of Europe.” [1]
[1] Persia October 7th by Mike Evens .page 239.
Walter Sieruk says
President Trump has or should have enough information to know that aggressive and combative jihad based mindset of those dictators of tyrannical Islamic regime of Iran have not and will nor give up on their evil goal enriching uranium for nuclear weapons. It still supplies deadly weapons to those murderous jihad entities Hamas and Hezbollah, and so forth.
That brutal cruel malicious murderous vicious tyrannical Islamic regime completely evil.
It should be made known that if the founder of the current Islamic tyranny, Ayatollah Khomeini would still be alive today, he would spit on those Westerners who say that “Islam is a non-violent religion.”
If Ayatollah Khomeini had clearly announced that “Those who know nothing about Islam pretend that Islam counsels against war….There are hundreds psalms and hadiths urging of Muslims to value war and to fight. …I spit upon those foolish souls who make such a claim.” [1] So if he was alive today who would spit on those Westerners who say that “Islam is a non-violent religion.” [1]
There are also many places in the Qu ‘ran that instruct in violence and killing for the cause of Islam. As found in ,for example Surah 2:191. 4:89.. 5:33. 9:5, 111,112 ,123. 47:4.
Therefore, when it comes to the subject of the United States with that war against that of dangerous and menacing Islamic tyranny of Iran.. There should have been be no negotiations whatsoever with the representatives of that Islamic regime, because they and the despots who head that horrendous Islamic tyranny are lairs and will have no intention of keeping their promise on anything that they might sign. Such a printed “peace agreement wouldn’t be worth the paper that it’s printed on
[1] THE ISLAM IN ISLAMIC TERRORISM by Ibn Warraq page 339.
Walter Sieruk says
President Trump should know that in article, eight of the Hamas Charter It reveals the mindset of the Muslim terrorists of that jihad entity.
It reads, “Allah is its target. The Prophet is it’s model, the Koran its constitution. Jihad is it its path, and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes.”
Therefore the religion of Islam has to be a death cult, with its instructions for the violence of killing and being killed while fighting in the jihad for the advancement of that religion, as found in Islam’s ”holy book” the Quran, Surah 2:191. 489. 9:5, 123. 47:4. Is most terrible.
So it’s tragic that the good US policy of not negotiating with terrorists must have had been scrapped. That’s terrible. Foe Hama is made up of nothing but terrorists, Muslims terrorists .
Any promise by Hamas to disarm means nothing, at all. A promise by Hamas is of zero value,
This is because Hamas is made up of liars and murderers; they will lie and not honor their word in any document that they might sign. They are liars and will not disarm. Therefore, any “disarmament deal ‘ that they will sign isn’t worth the price of the paper that this document is printed on.
Walter Sieruk says
Is President Trump actually unaware of the Charter of Hamas ? In one part of the Hamas Charter article it read “The Islamic Resistance Movement believes that the land of Palestine is an Islamic land …consecrated for future Muslim generations until Judgment Day.”
This belief in a “Palestine “by the terrorist members is ab delusion and a false belief. , The reason why this is so is because there is no actual, real “Palestine’ in the first place For “Palestine” is, actually a fiction , that’s exactly what ”Palestine..” Likewise, the so called “Palestinian flag” is, in reality, a fake “flag”
For in reality , “Palestine doesn’t exist For in reality, there is not nor was there ever a genuine land that that was or is “Palestine.” That is a modern myth. Therefore the so called “Palestine flag.” Is a fake “flag
“The land of Israel was renamed Syria Palestrina by Hadrian, the Roman Emperor. Following the second revolt against Rome in AD 132- 135. The Philistines had always been the enemy of the Jews .and as such it was an insult to the Jewish people.” [1]
In addition, even the word “Palestine” is a fabricated term that was a made up for the land by the Roman Emperor Hadrian as an insult to the Jews because the Jews and the Philistines, many times, fought each other. For a long time after that “renaming ‘of that land, Both Arabs and Jews living in that land were both referred to as “Palestinians.” Then in 1964, many Arabs started to refer only to themselves as ‘The Palestinians” hoping that would give them some kind of valid claim to that land in the eyes of the different nations of the world. In addition, Yasser Arafat in 1969 further spread the myth of a specific ethnic group or race of people called “the Palestinians”
[1] Miracle of Israel by Gary Frazier and Jim Fletcher, page 65.
Walter Sieruk says
President Trump seems to be need to be informed that in the Charter of Hamas in article eleven, in regarding to the land that makes up the State of Israel part of it declared “The real ownership of the lad and the land itself. It should be consecrated for Muslim generations till Judgment Day.”
That declaration of Hamas is proven to be false because it has been greatly overruled by God.
For God has revealed in the Bible the legitimate, genuine, declaration that He has given all that land to the Jewish people. This may be found in the Bible, as seen in, for example, Genesis 28:13-15. 35:10-12. Deuteronomy 32:48,49. Psalm 105:7-11.
In other words, the Jews have tall this land by Divine Right. Moreover, the Jewish people should have this land by historic rights as shown in First Kings 4:20,21, 24,25. 8:55, 56.
For the Bible informs its reader “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel for His special treasure.” Psalm 135:4. [N.K.J.V.]