‘We’re locked & loaded’: Trump warns apocalyptic Iranian regime not to murder swelling protest movement or U.S. will attack — is he planning 2nd air assault, possibly to include Iranian missile facilities, possibly with Israeli involvement?
Here’s my analysis based on fast-moving developments
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL — Barack Obama never did it.
Neither did Joe Biden.
But on Friday, in a shocking and unprecedented social media post, U.S. President Donald J. Trump came to the defense of the Iranian people and put the wicked regime in Tehran on notice.
Do not attack and kill any Iranian civilians who are out in the streets in force all across the Islamic Republic.
If you do, you will face the wrath of the American military.
True, the message was misspelled.
But it could hardly be misunderstood.
TRUMP GETS TOUGH WITH TEHRAN
Under Trump, no longer will the world’s greatest democracy and only superpower cast a blind eye toward the murder of innocent Iranians demanding freedom, justice, and a new government.
“If Iran [shoots] and violently kills peaceful protestors, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue,” the American commander-in-chief wrote on his digital platform, Truth Social.
“We are locked and loaded and ready to go,” Trump explained, adding, “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Wow — no American president has ever made such a threat.
Trump has insisted all year that he doesn’t plan to send U.S. ground forces into Iran.
He’s also insisted that he’s not planning to actively get involved in “regime change” in Iran.
But clearly, he’s losing patience with the Terror Masters of Tehran.
Good for him.
WE NEED TO STAND WITH — AND PRAY FOR — THE COURAGEOUS, OPPRESSED PEOPLE OF IRAN
As they have done in the past, hundreds of thousands of Iranians have turned out on the streets of cities all across Iran in recent days.
They’re courageously protesting against their corrupt, oppressive, and evil government.
They’re also openly calling for the fall of the regime and the return of the Persian monarchy, led by exiled Crown Prince of Iran Reza Pahlavi.
Good for them.
As Christians, we need to stand with — and pray for — the Iranian people.
TRUMP TAKING A VERY DIFFERENT TACK THAN OBAMA AND BIDEN
In the past, Presidents Obama and Biden ignored such massive popular uprisings.
Both also repeatedly ignored getting tough with one of the deadliest regimes on the planet, the leading state sponsor of terrorism against the United States, against Israel, against our Sunni Arab allies, and against Judeo-Christian civilization.
Worse, both Obama and Biden worked to appease Tehran, cutting an insane agreement with them that didn’t end Iran’s path to nuclear weapons but paved it.
Yet Trump has had enough of the cruelty and cowardice of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and the rest of the Iranian leadership.
In his first term, Trump:
Ripped up the Obama-Biden nuclear deal
Imposed on Iran a “maximum pressure” campaign of economic sanctions
Assassinated Iran’s top terrorist, Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)
Strengthened the U.S. alliance with Israel
Strengthened the U.S. alliance with our Sunni Arab allies in the region
Brokered the Abraham Accords to build an American-Israeli-Arab alliance against Iran
Publicly supported the Iranian people in their quest for freedom
Tragically, Biden undid or weakened most of these moves.
IN SECOND TERM, TRUMP IS GETTING EVEN TOUGHER WITH TEHRAN
Now back in power, Trump has gotten tough with Tehran all over again.
Specifically, Trump has:
Reimposed his “maximum pressure” campaign of sanctions on Iran
Given Tehran 60 days to negotiate a new, serious, and verifiable nuclear deal or face military attacks
Given Israel the “green light” to launch a 12-day military assault to neutralize Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threat and kill Iran’s top military leaders and nuclear scientists, but not directly attack the Supreme Leader or the regime itself
Ordered B-2 bombers into battle, dropping massive 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs on three especially dangerous and heavily fortified nuclear sites, obliterating the Iranian nuclear threat
Now, Trump has just spent a week with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Examining U.S. and Israeli intelligence, he can see that Tehran is trying to rebuild and reconstitute its nuclear weapons program.
Even more clearly and more worrisome, Trump can see that Tehran is feverishly trying to rebuild and reconstitute its ballistic missile force.
ARE THE U.S. AND ISRAEL ABOUT TO ATTACK IRAN FOR A SECOND TIME?
Trump understands the threat.
Tehran wants to someday soon be able to launch thousands — perhaps tens of thousands — of ballistic missiles at America’s allies in the region, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
Trump made it clear to Netanyahu that he won’t let this happen.
The president publicly signaled he is open to giving Netanyahu the “green light,” as it were, for Israel to launch another massive air attack against Iran.
Trump also hinted that he might order American B-2 bombers back into action, though he said he’d prefer not to have to expend so much of the expensive fuel the B-2s use.
Could we now be seeing Trump publicly setting the stage for more American and Israeli attacks to not only neutralize the Iranian missile threat but also to defend innocent Iranian civilians?
I believe the answer is yes.
TRUMP DOESN’T WANT WAR — BUT HE UNDERSTANDS TEHRAN IS A MURDEROUS, APOCALYPTIC, REVOLUTIONARY REGIME THAT WANTS TO ANNIHILATE THE U.S. AND ISRAEL
Trump doesn’t want war.
But he is under no illusions.
He understands that Tehran does want war.
Every single day, Iranian leaders and religious clerics shout, “Death to Israel! Death to America!”
Why?
Because the apocalyptic regime in Tehran believes that Israel is the “Little Satan,” the United States is the “Great Satan,” and that annihilating both will usher in the End of Days and the arrival of the Mahdi — also known as the Twelfth Imam — the Muslim savior who will kill all Jews and Christians, force all survivors to convert to Islam, and rule the world.
President Trump is never going to let this happen.
What’s more, Trump knows that the more the Iranian regime and military capacities are neutralized or severely degraded, the better the chance to establish true peace and security in the Middle East.
Let’s be praying for the president.
And for the people of Iran.
Something dramatic is developing.
I’m bullish about the future of this region, especially in the near term.
But I believe the only path to a New Middle East is for Christians to be praying without ceasing, just as the Holy Scriptures command.
Joel C. Rosenberg is the editor-in-chief of ALL ISRAEL NEWS and ALL ARAB NEWS and the President and CEO of Near East Media. A New York Times best-selling author, Middle East analyst, and Evangelical leader, he lives in Jerusalem with his wife and sons.
