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Newly appointed US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, has officially arrived at his new post in Israel amid reports that President Trump blocked a planned Israeli strike on Iran in favor of renewed diplomatic talks.
Some shit you should know before you read: A few days back, the New York Times reported that DNI Tulsi Gabbard pushed back against US involvement in an Israeli-led strike on Iran, warning that such an operation could ignite a broader regional conflict. According to the report, President Trump told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu earlier this month that the US would not support or participate in a military strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, opting instead to initiate direct diplomatic talks with Tehran. Trump’s decision came during a tense Oval Office meeting where Israeli officials had hoped to secure backing for a joint bombing campaign aimed at setting back Iran’s nuclear program by at least a year. Many experts and defense officials believe Israel cannot successfully strike Iran’s nuclear infrastructure alone due to the sheer number and geographic spread of critical targets. If going at it alone, Israel would need to strike dozens of critical targets, potentially as many as 80 to 100 sites, to neutralize Iran’s nuclear capabilities and its ability to retaliate through missile strikes and proxy forces. Many of these targets include hardened sites buried deep underground, such as the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is located beneath a nearby mountain and is designed to withstand conventional bombing. Destroying such a facility would likely require the use of US military assets, including Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), which are not part of Israel’s arsenal.
What’s going on now: Amid the diplomatic shift in US policy toward Iran, Ambassador Mike Huckabee made his first official visit to Jerusalem, beginning with a visit to the Western Wall. Huckabee, a longtime ally of Israel and former Arkansas governor, placed a handwritten note from President Trump into the ancient stones — a traditional act of prayer — and told reporters that Trump “wrote that with his own hand last Thursday and he sent me to place it here, so I do so with the best wishes of the president.” The note, signed “D.T.,” called for “peace in Israel” and for the immediate return of hostages still held in Gaza.
Huckabee also reiterated the Trump administration’s support for Israel. He said, “On behalf of President Trump and the American people, I say to Israel: our commitment to you is unwavering and we pray for the immediate return of all the hostages. Israel will never be alone.”
This comes as Israeli officials are expressing growing concern following President Trump’s decision to halt a joint military operation targeting Iranian nuclear facilities. In response to the New York Times story, Israeli officials stopped short of denying the plan but said tha tthe US and Israel agreed that “Iran will not have nuclear weapons.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu added, “That goal must be achieved either through a definitive agreement that dismantles their capabilities or, if that fails, through other means. We go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment — under American supervision and American execution. That is good. If not, the option is military. Everyone understands this.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office also released a statement defending Israel’s position, saying that “Prime Minister Netanyahu has led the global campaign against Iran’s nuclear program for over a decade—even when others dismissed the threat.”
