Israel Dismantles Iranian Leadership: Iran in Chaos

One day after President Trump’s 60-day negotiation window closed, Israel sent more than 200 fighter jets to attack Iran’s nuclear sites. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) precisely targeted Iranian military leaders and bombed more than 100 sites. Iran retaliated with a drone attack, and it also fired 100 ballistic missiles at Israel.

Iran is in disarray after the attack, having lost much of its leadership. President Trump also warned Iran that if it doesn’t strike a nuclear deal soon, Israel’s next attack will be “even more brutal.” As of right now, Iran has called off all nuclear talks.

We had a jam-packed broadcast today with numerous guests offering unique perspectives on Israel’s airstrike. First, ACLJ Senior Advisor for National Security and Foreign Policy Ric Grenell weighed in on Americans who are worried about war breaking out in the Middle East:

What [President Trump] has been saying for the last 60 days to Iran is, Let’s talk. He’s been offering carrots to say, Come to the table, and let’s talk. We want to make sure that we are communicating directly; we want to have a peaceful resolution. But when Israel calls and says, We’re threatened, it’s our neighborhood, and we’re the target of Iran more than anyone else, it doesn’t really matter what the U.S. is going to say in response because Israel is a sovereign nation. They coordinate with their great ally, America, in certain ways. But Marco Rubio and President Trump made it clear that this was unilateral action. This was the actions of the Israelis, and it was not the action of America, and Donald Trump continues in the midst of all of this to be a realist, to say . . . Why don’t we try to come to some sort of diplomatic solution?

President Trump didn’t start this conflict, and he will do his best to get Iran back to the negotiation table. At the same time, he’s signaled full support of Israel.

Next, my dad, ACLJ Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow, joined the broadcast to discuss Israel’s next move:

[The attack] was not a one-off . . . . [It] has been planned for years. So the threat of a nuclear Iran is not new. What was new was that their capability had reached a point, basically, of no return. If you didn’t act now, you would have an Iran with a nuclear weapon. Now that would destabilize, of course, the Middle East, but it would also put all of us, including the U.S., at tremendous risk. . . .

You could not have a situation where Iran would get a nuclear weapon. It’s a theocracy based on a worldview that Israel is the little Satan and the United States is the big Satan, so we can’t ignore that. . . . And I want to talk to some of my conservative friends who are worried about U.S. involvement. Well, so far, the U.S. hasn’t done anything per se. That doesn’t mean it won’t. The President was very clear with Iran. They had 60 days to get to the table and get a deal done. They didn’t do it, and on the 61st day, Israel attacked. That should say a lot.

My dad is optimistic that better days lie ahead for the Middle East. He pointed out that when Trump instituted the Abraham Accords in 2020, the other nations involved didn’t want a nuclear Iran. So they should be supportive of Iran’s nuclear sites being dismantled.

Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is no stranger to dealing with Iran. He championed President Trump’s initial decision to withdraw from the Iran nuclear deal seven years ago. He explained why the world is safer today:

[Today is] a good day for the world, a great day for Israel, and a bad day for the Ayatollah and his tyranny and theocracy. Clearly, the results that we can see with our own eyes demonstrate that Iran is on its back foot. It’s had its entire IRGC leadership, a good piece of its army leadership, wiped out. Clearly, its air defense system is completely useless today. The Israelis are flying with relative freedom just about any place that they want. . . . The Israelis are taking on this fight on behalf of the U.S. Make no mistake about it: Americans are safer this morning than they were last night.

Secretary Pompeo is right. The U.S. is safer with Iran no longer being a nuclear threat. We will keep you updated on the situation in the Middle East going forward.

At the same time, we will be mobilizing our ACLJ Jerusalem office to be of assistance. Please pray for Israel in the days ahead.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included a full analysis of Israel’s massive airstrike against Iran’s nuclear sites.

Watch the full broadcast below: