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America Turns the Tables on Iran
US President Joe Biden addresses the nation on the Hamas onslaught against Israel. Photo: Reuters/Jonathan Ernst
JNS.org – In a decisive move that marks a significant shift in U.S. foreign policy, the U.S. has initiated a series of targeted airstrikes against Iran-backed terrorist proxies in Iraq and Syria. This signifies the beginning of a broader campaign against Iran’s terror network in the Middle East.
For years, the U.S. has grappled with the challenge of Iran-backed terrorism. The recent drone strike by Shiite proxies in Jordan, resulting in the tragic loss of three American service members and injuries to over 40, prompted America’s robust response. President Joe Biden, demonstrating resolve, honored the fallen in a ceremony in Jordan, sending a clear message: The U.S. will no longer stand idly by.
The scale of the strikes surpasses previous responses to Iranian provocations, targeting the very heart of Iran’s terrorist proxy network—the Islamic Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force and its military and training facilities. The strikes appear to be aimed at curbing further terrorist activities without sparking a full-scale conflict; a delicate balancing act given the volatile backdrop of the ongoing Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, where Iran’s shadowy involvement is no secret.
The need to dismantle the IRGC’s terrorist network cannot be overstated. Its malign influence, if left unchecked, threatens to extend its reach far beyond the Middle East, endangering peace and stability on a global scale. The Biden administration’s shift from a policy of appeasement to one of decisive action is a welcome change, signaling a readiness to confront and neutralize threats regardless of the cost.
Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s announcement of a “multi-tiered” campaign against Iran’s terrorist network underscores the multifaceted approach the U.S. is prepared to take. With a vast array of capabilities at its disposal, the Pentagon is well-equipped to address the challenge, leveraging intelligence and military might to neutralize threats and protect American interests.
The urgency of the situation is compounded by Iran’s continued belligerence, as evidenced by the relentless attacks on U.S. facilities in Iraq and Syria by Iran-backed militias. These provocations have now been answered, with growing bipartisan support for a more assertive stance that sends an unequivocal message to Tehran: Acts of terrorism will not be tolerated.
Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi has maintained a facade of non-aggression, but Iranian actions speak louder than words. The regime’s support for terrorist proxies and its pursuit of regional dominance through subversion and violence reveal its true intentions. The U.S.’s strategic response, while measured, leaves no doubt about its commitment to defending its interests and those of its allies against Iranian aggression.
However, the international community as a whole must recognize the gravity of the threat posed by Iran and its proxies. The suspension of military operations by groups like Kataib Hezbollah is but a temporary reprieve. The path to stability in the Middle East requires unwavering resolve and a united front against the forces of tyranny and terrorism.
As this new chapter in American foreign policy unfolds, it is clear that the battle against Iranian-backed aggression is far from over. The U.S.’s recent actions are not merely retaliatory; they represent a strategic, principled stand against those who would seek to destabilize the region and threaten global security. In this endeavor, the U.S. must remain vigilant and prepared to act decisively in defense of peace and democracy. It must continue its commitment not just to the immediate security of its own citizens and servicemen but to the foundational principles of freedom and justice that underpin the international order.
The campaign against Iranian aggression is not only about retribution; it’s about setting the stage for a future in which peace and stability are not just aspirations but realities.
The post America Turns the Tables on Iran first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Security Warning to Israelis Vacationing Abroad Ahead of holidays
A passenger arrives to a terminal at Ben Gurion international airport before Israel bans international flights, January 25, 2021. REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
i24 News – Ahead of the Jewish High Holidays, Israel’s National Security Council (NSC) published the latest threat assessment to Israelis abroad from terrorist groups to the public on Sunday, in order to increase the Israeli public’s awareness of the existing terrorist threats around the world and encourage individuals to take preventive action accordingly.
The NSC specified that the warning is an up-to-date reflection of the main trends in the activities of terrorist groups around the world and their impact on the level of threat posed to Israelis abroad during these times, but the travel warnings and restrictions themselves are not new.
“As the Gaza war continues and in parallel with the increasing threat of terrorism, the National Security Headquarters stated it has recognized a trend of worsening and increasing violent antisemitic incidents and escalating steps by anti-Israel groups, to the point of physically harming Israelis and Jews abroad. This is in light of, among other things, the anti-Israel narrative and the negative media campaign by pro-Palestinian elements — a trend that may encourage and motivate extremist elements to carry out terrorist activities against Israelis or Jews abroad,” the statement read.
“Therefore, the National Security Bureau is reinforcing its recommendation to the Israeli public to act with responsibility during this time when traveling abroad, to check the status of the National Security Bureau’s travel warnings (before purchasing tickets to the destination,) and to act in accordance with the travel warning recommendations and the level of risk in the country they are visiting,” it listed, adding that, as illustrated in the past year, these warnings are well-founded and reflect a tangible and valid threat potential.
The statement also emphasized the risk of sharing content on social media networks indicating current or past service in the Israeli security forces, as these posts increase the risk of being marked by various parties as a target. “Therefore, the National Security Council recommends that you do not upload to social networks, in any way, content that indicates service in the security forces, operational activity, or similar content, as well as real-time locations.”
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Israel Intensifies Gaza City Bombing as Rubio Arrives
Displaced Palestinians, fleeing northern Gaza due to an Israeli military operation, move southward after Israeli forces ordered residents of Gaza City to evacuate to the south, in the central Gaza Strip September 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
Israeli forces destroyed at least 30 residential buildings in Gaza City and forced thousands of people from their homes, Palestinian officials said, as US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived on Sunday to discuss the future of the conflict.
Israel has said it plans to seize the city, where about a million Palestinians have been sheltering, as part of its declared aim of eliminating the terrorist group Hamas, and has intensified attacks on what it has called Hamas’ last bastion.
The group’s political leadership, which has engaged in on-and-off negotiations on a possible ceasefire and hostage release deal, was targeted by Israel in an airstrike in Doha on Tuesday in an attack that drew widespread condemnation.
Qatar will host an emergency Arab-Islamic summit on Monday to discuss the next moves. Rubio said Washington wanted to talk about how to free the 48 hostages – of whom 20 are believed to be still alive – still held by Hamas in Gaza and rebuild the coastal strip.
“What’s happened, has happened,” he said. “We’re gonna meet with them (the Israeli leadership). We’re gonna talk about what the future holds,” Rubio said before heading to Israel where he will stay until Tuesday.
ABRAHAM ACCORDS AT RISK
He was expected to visit the Western Wall Jewish prayer site in Jerusalem on Sunday with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and hold talks with him during the visit.
US officials described Tuesday’s strike on the territory of a close US ally as a unilateral escalation that did not serve American or Israeli interests. Rubio and US President Donald Trump both met Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani on Friday.
Netanyahu signed an agreement on Thursday to push ahead with a settlement expansion plan that would cut across West Bank land that the Palestinians seek for a state – a move the United Arab Emirates warned would undermine the US-brokered Abraham accords that normalized UAE relations with Israel.
Israel, which blocked all food from entering Gaza for 11 weeks earlier this year, has been allowing more aid into the enclave since late July to prevent further food shortages, though the United Nations says far more is needed.
It says it wants civilians to leave Gaza City before it sends more ground forces in. Tens of thousands of people are estimated to have left but hundreds of thousands remain in the area. Hamas has called on people not to leave.
Israeli army forces have been operating inside at least four eastern suburbs for weeks, turning most of at least three of them into wastelands. It is closing in on the center and the western areas of the territory, where most of the displaced people are taking shelter.
Many are reluctant to leave, saying there is not enough space or safety in the south, where Israel has told them to go to what it has designated as a humanitarian zone.
Some say they cannot afford to leave while others say they were hoping the Arab leaders meeting on Monday in Qatar would pressure Israel to scrap its planned offensive.
“The bombardment intensified everywhere and we took down the tents, more than twenty families, we do not know where to go,” said Musbah Al-Kafarna, displaced in Gaza City.
Israel said it had completed five waves of air strikes on Gaza City over the past week, targeting more than 500 sites, including Hamas reconnaissance and sniper sites, buildings containing tunnel openings and weapons depots.
Local officials, who do not distinguish between militant and civilian casualties, say at least 40 people were killed by Israeli fire across the enclave, a least 28 in Gaza City alone.
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Turkey Warns of Escalation as Israel Expands Strikes Beyond Gaza
Turkey’s President Tayyip Erdogan speaks during a press conference with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (not seen) at the Presidential Palace in Ankara, Turkey, May 13, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Umit Bektas
i24 News – An Israeli strike targeting Hamas officials in Qatar has sparked unease among several Middle Eastern countries that host leaders of the group, with Turkey among the most alarmed.
Officials in Ankara are increasingly worried about how far Israel might go in pursuing those it holds responsible for the October 7 attacks.
Israel’s prime minister effectively acknowledged that the Qatar operation failed to eliminate the Hamas leadership, while stressing the broader point the strike was meant to make: “They enjoy no immunity,” the government said.
On X, Prime Minister Netanyahu went further, writing that “the elimination of Hamas leaders would put an end to the war.”
A senior Turkish official, speaking on condition of anonymity, summed up Ankara’s reaction: “The attack in Qatar showed that the Israeli government is ready to do anything.”
Legally and diplomatically, Turkey occupies a delicate position. As a NATO member, any military operation or targeted killing on its soil could inflame tensions within the alliance and challenge mutual security commitments.
Analysts caution, however, that Israel could opt for covert measures, operations carried out without public acknowledgement, a prospect that has increased anxiety in governments across the region.
Israeli officials remain defiant. In an interview with Ynet, Minister Ze’ev Elkin said: “As long as we have not stopped them, we will pursue them everywhere in the world and settle our accounts with them.” The episode underscores growing fears that efforts to hunt Hamas figures beyond Gaza could widen regional friction and complicate diplomatic relationships.