He said: “In less than 18 hours… Iran responded by firing hundreds of ballistic missiles, including hypersonic missiles, into central Tel Aviv and across Israel. Meanwhile, Israel’s Iron Dome failed. Israeli intelligence failed. Now Netanyahu is pleading with Washington to intervene with American Military Power to rescue Israel from certain defeat.”
What has been happeningThe latest round of hostilities was triggered when Israel launched a surprise preemptive strike on Iran, targeting military installations and nuclear scientists.
Iran, caught off guard, responded with a ferocity few anticipated. Tehran launched hundreds of ballistic and hypersonic missiles into Israel, striking targets deep in central Tel Aviv.
The Israeli Iron Dome defence system failed to fully neutralise the onslaught. Civilian casualties mounted, and the chaos exposed major gaps in Israel’s intelligence and air defence systems.
Iran doubts US neutrality
In a video address shortly after the first attack, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked US President Donald Trump for his consistent stance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions: “I wanted to thank President Trump for his leadership in confronting Iran’s nuclear weapons programme. He has made it clear time and again that Iran cannot have a nuclear enrichment programme.”
While Israel implied US backing, the Biden administration quickly issued a statement via Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran, and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.”
Despite this distancing, Trump told Fox News he was aware of the Israeli strikes before they happened. He reiterated: “Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table.”
According to Reuters, Iranian Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on June 11 that if nuclear negotiations with the United States collapse and conflict breaks out, Iran will strike US military bases across the region.
Speaking at a weekly press briefing just days before the sixth round of Iran-US nuclear talks, which have now been cancelled, Nasirzadeh said: “Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don’t come to fruition. If a conflict is imposed on us … all US bases are within our reach and we will boldly target them in host countries.”
Trump distances US from attack again, warns of retaliation if provoked
Amid intensifying strikes on Iranian targets, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu again praised Trump in a birthday message on Saturday, June 14, calling him a “decisive, courageous” leader who had “done great things for Israel.” The gesture followed Trump’s remarks calling Israel’s large-scale assault on Iran “excellent” and “very successful.”
Netanyahu framed the operation as a shared battle between democracies and a “criminal regime in Iran,” adding, “Our enemy is your enemy… Our victory will be your victory.”
Meanwhile, on Sunday, June 15, Trump posted on Truth Social again that the US “had nothing to do with the attack on Iran”, and that “if Iran attacks the United States in any way, it would face the might of the US military at levels never seen before.”He added, “We can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict.”
Despite Washington’s denials, Iranian officials remain unconvinced. Brigadier General Abolfazl Shekarchi told state media after the first attack that “the military strikes were carried out with US support,” warning that “Israel will pay a heavy price.”
Former US Army colonel flags misguided US foreign policy
Macgregor argued the crisis was worsened by years of misguided US foreign policy: “Washington burned through $12 trillion in the Middle East since 2003. Result? 7,000 dead Americans. 50,000 wounded… Today, the United States is $37 trillion in debt.”
He warned that if Israel escalates further, especially by attacking Kharg Island or Bandar Abbas, critical to Iran’s oil exports, Tehran could close the Strait of Hormuz, crippling global oil supply: “Gas hits $7/gallon overnight. Truckers can’t deliver food. Economy crashes. For what? So Israel can drag Americans into a wider regional conflict with the potential for nuclear war?”
With 40,000 US troops stationed across the Persian Gulf, Macgregor warned they are sitting ducks: “Iranian Shahed-136 drones cost $20,000 each. American Patriot Missiles cost $4 million per interceptor. Do the math.”
He urged a dramatic shift in the US posture toward diplomacy, not firepower. His five-point plan included a UN Security Council-led ceasefire, suspension of US aid to Israel until it halts operations in Gaza and the West Bank, and a multilateral peace summit involving major global powers.
“America First means AMERICA FIRST. Not Israel first. Not Ukraine first. Not NATO first,” he said on X. “Washington’s warmongers had 22 years. They failed. They lied. They profited while America bled. Time’s up.”
