“Next year in Jerusalem.” These were the last words we heard from our guide as we fled Israel.
My group, a dozen or so media professionals hosted by the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD), arrived in Israel last Thursday afternoon. We had a beautiful dinner overlooking Jerusalem. Our goal was to study the geopolitical situation in the region post Oct. 7. Unfortunately, instead of touring the sites of Oct. 7 and getting briefed on the war in Gaza, we were confronted with the culmination of that conflict — war with Iran.
We were warned that there could be attacks and were briefed on the protocols, but we were also told that this was very unlikely, especially since Prime Minister Netanyahu’s son was getting married soon. No one believed he would choose this moment to target Iran. Everyone was wrong.
That night, the entire country was awakened by sirens at 3:00 a.m. This was a warning from the Israeli government to get ready for retaliation. And Iran did retaliate. From that point on, air sirens woke us up multiple times a night, warning that Iran had launched ballistic missiles at Israel. Once the bombs came early, interrupting dinner twice. It is odd to me now that we decided to go back upstairs to finish our dessert. Our group learned to make ourselves at home in the shelter, while many of the journalists did media interviews or worked on filing stories. As the days went on, the shelter became more crowded with those fleeing Tel Aviv.
Eventually, my group was able to get out of Jerusalem via bus through the West Bank and to Jordan’s Allenby border, a crossing usually reserved for Palestinians. We had no time to get visas; the Jordanians let us in as refugees. With the airspace closed, getting out of Jordan was another problem — and another story. But after two days of not sleeping, we did make it home.
Now that I’ve had some time to process everything, my overwhelming emotion is gratitude. We may not have gotten the trip that was planned. I didn’t get to walk the streets in the old city of Jerusalem, pray at the Western Wall, touch the water of the Jordan, or stand on the Mount of Olives, but I did get to be part of history.
Israel’s Operation Rising Lion is not just about bringing Tehran to its knees; it is about raising the people of Iran from theirs. Iran’s flag before the revolution featured a golden lion and the sun. After the Islamic revolution, these strong symbols of strength and independence were removed and the Iranian people have been living in a dark age ever since. There is a reason Israel’s military operations have focused on military and political sites. Their war is not with the people of Iran, but with an evil regime that has oppressed its own citizens for decades.
It is important to remember that Israel did not start this war — Iran did. For decades, Iran has shouted “death to America” and “death to Israel.” And if actions speak louder than words, consider that Iran funded Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre on Israel, fired rockets at Israel in April 2024, funded the Houthis attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, and Hezbollah’s rocket attacks on Israel. Israel has been fighting a multifront war for almost two years now, and it is finally able to cut the head off the dragon.
Instead of trying to stop them or calling for “de-escalation,” I am grateful President Trump stepped in and eradicated Iran’s biggest nuclear facilities in a historic mission known as Operation Midnight Hammer.
For those claiming that this isn’t an American problem, we must not forget that Iran also backed militia attacks on U.S. bases in Iraq, injuring dozens, and plotted the assassination of then candidate Donald Trump. If this isn’t a declaration of war, what is? “America First” means putting American interests above all else, not pretending our big oceans will forever protect us. We already saw on Sept. 11 that they won’t. And as the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, the Iranian regime has surely already exploited Biden’s open borders to establish “sleeper cells” in our country.
If Iran could wield so much power without a nuclear weapon, imagine how much more influence it would have had with one. Tehran surely would have used the status of being a nuclear power to shape the Middle East in its image and to continue threatening the existence of Israel as well as other Muslim nations that don’t align with its desire for Shia hegemony. A Middle East in alignment with Tehran would be an even more dangerous place than it already is.
President Trump understands that to prevent this, we don’t only need to undercut Tehran’s vision for the Middle East, but to replace it. For that reason, he has been working to expand the Abraham Accords. Arab-Israeli cooperation is not unprecedented. Prior to the fall of the Ottoman Empire, Jews and Muslims lived in relative harmony. In Israel, Arabs make up 20 percent of the population and are well integrated into society — though there is always room for improvement. Muslims and Jews have common ancestors, common roots in the same region, and in many ways a shared culture. Increased normalization isn’t impossible. In fact, it is this harmony that some say Iran was attempting to prevent with Oct. 7. It isn’t a coincidence that Hamas levelled its attack on Israel right as Saudi Arabia was on the cusp of making a deal with the Jewish State.
Yet Iran has been standing in the way of regional stability — that will hopefully no longer be an issue. Do not misunderstand, we should not turn this war into a nation-building exercise. We saw how that works. It doesn’t. However, dismantling Tehran’s nuclear program and military capabilities will likely cause a domino effect leading to regime change. That, however, will be up to the Iranian people to decide and to actualize.
In contrast to other countries in the Middle East that have gone through radical regime change, the Iranian people remember what freedom and self-government, and the rule of law instead of the rule of a dictator is like. They are uniquely capable of self-determination. We should wish them luck instead of dismissing them as another disaster waiting to happen.
Whether Iran descends into civil war, becomes a military state, or reinstates the Shah, the United States is not obligated to step in. We may be called on to do so, and we should decline. Our one and only goal was to ensure that this Colossus of Tehran did not become a nuclear power. We should not promise indefinite involvement.
Not all wars are so-called “stupid wars.” Part of that difference between a smart war and a stupid war comes down to determining a concrete and achievable goal. Here we have that, “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” as President Trump has said on multiple occasions. This limited goal bears zero resemblance to the democracy building parties of two decades ago. This does not have to be a multi-year war or even a multi-week war. Over learning lessons from Iraq could be just as imprudent as ignoring those lessons altogether.
Even now President Trump is trying to deescalate the situation after Iran fired upon U.S. bases in Qatar, stating, “Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same.”
I watched President Trump’s military parade from a bunker in Israel. As tanks rolled through the streets of Washington, D.C., I wondered what the purpose of having the strongest military in the world was if we weren’t willing to use it to protect ourselves and our partners. I’m glad President Trump doesn’t just know how to put on a show but also knows how to act. His massively successful military campaign against Fordow and two other nuclear sites in Iran will be studied in history books for generations to come. I truly hope this is the beginning of a new chapter for the Middle East.
Supporting Israel and defeating our enemies isn’t a betrayal of MAGA, it is a fulfillment of it. It is because of our greatness that we can stand up to the school yard bully before it can become something far worse.