Abandoning Folly and Seeking Truth, Peace, Prosperity and Genuine Security
On June 13, 2025, Israel launched a surprise attack on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, simultaneously orchestrating the assassination of key Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists. There were 244 Iranian military and 1,200 civilians killed. Iran retaliated with 550 ballistic missiles and over 1,100 targeted drones on 5 Israeli military bases, Israeli defensive missile positions, and key intelligence and communication centers. Israeli casualties, however, were only 10 military and 5 civilians killed.
On the night of June 21, 2025, U.S B-2 bombers struck three Iranian nuclear facilities near the mountainous areas of Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordo. The B-2s were carrying 30,000-pound bunker-bombs. On the surface, they seemed to be precise direct hits. President Trump described the Iranian nuclear installations, including stored refined uranium, to have been “obliterated.” The surface facilities of these underground nuclear installations might be accurately described as obliterated, but later intelligence indicated that while underground facilities may have been severely inconvenienced for a period, they were repairable, and most of any enriched uranium there had been removed before the strike. Iran struck back at U.S. facilities in Qatar with only nominal results, and a ceasefire ended the so-called 12-Day War. on June 24.
On December 28, 2025, following protests over economic conditions, rising prices, shortages, and currency problems, orchestrated protests erupted in over 200 Iranian cities. These protests blamed the Iranian government for the problems. However, the strongest underlying source of Iran’s economic problems were U.S. financial sanctions against Iran and an attack on Iranian currency values deliberately orchestrated by the U.S. Treasury Department. This was later bragged about by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent at Davos on January 20, 2026. The regime-change oriented revolution attempt was orchestrated in Iran by Israeli Mossad Intelligence and the CIA. It is highly probable that British MI6 Intelligence was also involved. The Mossad and CIA orchestration was admitted to and praised by former CIA Director and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Approximately 40,000 Starlink communication units were smuggled into Iran by Mossad and the CIA to coordinate the regime change and revolution. Through Chinese or Russian technology, however, the Iranians were able to identify, pinpoint and nullify 34,000 of them.
According to Dr. John J. Mearsheimer, one of the most respected foreign policy scholars in the U.S. and Europe, CIA regime change operations usually start with economic sanctions designed to hurt the ordinary people and businesses of a target nation in order to turn them against their leaders, thus fomenting protest and dissatisfaction, setting up a regime change. Mearsheimer identifies four basic steps in scores of CIA attempted and accomplished regime changes. First crippling sanctions, second mass demonstrations, third massive disinformation propaganda to justify U.S. intervention to the American people, Congress, and American allies, and fourth military backing or follow-up as necessary. In regard to the propaganda campaign, there were immediate media and NGO claims that 20,000 to 36,500 protestors had been killed. The Guardian in the UK and Time in the U.S edged up to 30,000 to 33,000 during January 2026. The official Iranian government count was 3,117, including 213 security force personnel. The U.S. based Human Rights Activist News Agency (HRANA) had only been able to document 7,007 by February 27, 2026. I suspect the higher estimates were “leaked” by intelligence agencies to cooperative media for political effect. Given that Iran was able to pinpoint more than 80% of Starlink units, and 108 Starlink units were confiscated, the death toll could be a few thousand higher, but the 30,000+ estimates have a strong smell of propaganda. The December 2025 Revolution was history by January 16, 2026. Massive disinformation propaganda, false flags, and false war narratives are the trademarks of CIA and British MI6 covert operations, and are most efficiently propagated by cooperative media.
On February 28, 2026, the U.S. and Israel launched a massive and destructive air and missile attack on Iran. Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khomeini, much of his family, and dozens of senior political and military leaders were killed in the first waves of attack. There were also many civilian casualties, including about 160 children and teachers at the Minab School in Southern Iran. This is believed to have been accidental mistargeting, but some targeting research negligence may have been involved. Iran retaliated by missile and drone strikes against American bases in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia. Moreover, they blocked passage into the Persian Gulf at the narrow Strait of Hormuz at its southern end. The Persian Gulf is the source of 20% of crude oil shipments, 15% of natural gas, 35% of fertilizer, and 32% of Helium used for semiconductor production. Also possible is the blocking of the southern Red Sea Bab-el-Mandeb Strait west of Houthi dominated Yemen responsible for about 12% of petroleum shipments.
The massive February 28 attack against Iran was believed urgent because President Trump had been convinced by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Mossad Intelligence Chief David Barniea that Iran was building nuclear weapons that they would be able to launch at Israel in two weeks. Roman Gofman replaced Barnea as Director of Mossad Intelligence on June 2. The Mossad Intelligence, however, conflicted with reports from 16 U.S. intelligence agencies coordinated by U.S. Director of Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard. It is widely believed from internal accounts, that the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff also cautioned that such an attack was high risk and had only a limited chance to bring down the Iranian government or completely defeat the Iranian military and IRGC. It is probable that recent U.S. intelligence gained from attacks on Iran following the loss of an AH-64 Apache gunship revealed that Iranian defensive missiles and offensive missile and drone numbers and precision were significantly more formidable than previously estimated. Much of this is undoubtedly related to Russian and Chinese assistance and increasing commitment to Iran. Moreover, the U.S. Naval Blockade implemented on April 13 has not proved very effective and adds to the growing global energy shortage crisis.
Meanwhile, the economic consequences of higher prices and crippling shortages of energy fuels, fertilizer, helium, and other Persian Gulf exports will soon be more evident and burdensome to the American people and the world. The U.S. military has also been depleting its capabilities with both the Ukrainian and Iran wars going on. The U.S. is also facing a rare-earth-elements shortage necessary for its most important weapons and communications. The Chinese currently have 90% of the refining capacity. Keeping up a war against Iran and its Russian and Chinese allies is likely to throw the U.S. into to a significant recession within weeks. If we decide on another major attack to “finish” Iran, its success would be unlikely, and Iran would probably respond by finishing off the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Jordan. Iran has already proved it has the capability of doing so. That could mean a world depression worse than the 1929 to 1939 depression. The political consequences would be most devastating to the Republicans.
Thus we have the 14-Point Memorandum of Understanding. Many Americans will be slow to accept it, but the bottom line is that we must agree on something close to it or face economic disaster. Going against the Iranians, Russians, and Chinese could also prove a foolish and humiliating military calamity. Many Americans cannot let go of the hubris that “we are the strongest country in the world with no one even close to us.” Things are changing. We are still the strongest in many things, but the Russians and the Chines have become as strong or stronger in other things. This is especially true in hypersonic missiles, and even in the sheer number of Russian nuclear weapons. Even Iran is capable of inflicting severe economic damage globally and severe military damage in the Middle East and West Asia.
Victory is peace, prosperity, and liberty to govern our own country with justice, wisdom, and the traditions we choose. Misguided and imperialistic hubris is an unhappy road to a hard fall.
Netanyahu and Mossad Director David Barnea misled President Trump into believing that Israel was in imminent danger of Iranian nuclear attack and that a massive missile and air attack eliminating Iran’s Supreme Leader and top layer of military and government leaders would topple Iran like a house of cards in a few days. Trump trusted Netanyahu and Mossad despite contrary advice from U.S. intelligence and senior military leaders. Military Shock and Awe have failed, as advised, and more will only aggravate a growing U.S. and global crisis. A true victory for everyone is to cast hubris and imperialistic delusions aside and determine a truly just peace for all parties.
The very existence of Israel is threatened by continuing war—Israel’s defensive Iron Dome has failed, and Iran has a clear offensive missile advantage capable of ruinous destruction and mayhem,
Nevertheless, we we have to recognize that Israel has a serious dilemma. It is surrounded by Muslim nations influenced by long-standing doctrines derived from the Quran and written records of Muhammad’s teachings and life. Two of Islam’s most prominent and distinctive doctrines in these Muslim equivalents to sacred scripture are the Doctrine of Jihad and the Doctrine of Islamic Supremacy. These call for the ultimate dominance of Islam, often by progressive stages, and the subjugation and final elimination of all unbelievers—those who reject Islam. Other passages of these Islamic scriptures are specifically hostile to Jews. The meaning of Jihad is striving or struggle, which can be internal spiritual struggle. However, Dr. Bill Warner, founder of the Center for the Study of Political Islam, in an analysis of Jihad passages asserts as do several other Christian scholars, that the context is overwhelmingly on the side of kinetic violence—98.2% according to Warner. So it is natural that Israel considers its Islamic neighbors potential existential threats to its existence.
However, most studies of Islam are based on Sunni Islam. There are four major Theological Schools in Sunni Islam, but Shia Islam split from the mainline Sunni Islam over political differences over succession of leadership and its nature and authority. but it has also evolved philosophically and has its own legal and theological traditions. Iranian Shia Islam tends to favor more collective scholarly interpretation addressing current issues in interpretation of the Quran and the traditions of Muhamad. One particular difference regards Jihad. Shia Jihad has developed a strong emphasis on enduring suffering. This severely undermines the mistaken expectation that Shia Muslims can be successfully bombed, starved, or bullied into submission.
Iranian military actions against the U.S. are also distinctive in strategy. They usually wait for an American attack to respond, but they respond with escalated measures or scope. Statistics bear out Iranian positions on conducting a just war. According to MilitarySpend, a useful website on war casualties, Iran War Casualties 2026: US, Iran & Civilian Death Toll Tracker, as of June 21, between 1,800 and 7,650 Iranian civilians have been killed by American missile and bombing attacks. According to the same, only 28 Israeli civilians have been killed by Iranian air and missile attacks, although I believe this may be a politically fabricated number to reduce public and international alarm. The Iranians now have a clear offensive missile dominance over Israeli defensive weaponry.
Israel and the West have the right and obligation to defend themselves against Islamic Jihad if attacked and should have the wisdom to prepare for that eventuality. However, wise leadership should be extremely wary of being dragged into war on the basis of false pretense, false flags, false narratives, and demonization propaganda.
The 14-Point Memorandum of Understanding: The 14-Point Memorandum of Understanding - The Times Examiner, could be derailed by Israeli aggression against Lebanon, but that is not the MOU’s most formidable vulnerability. That Behemoth political obstacle is AIPAC. Netanyahu could lobby AIPAC to defeat the MOU, but they are already set against it.
The American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) is a major, bipartisan, pro-Israel lobbying organization that advocates for a strong US-Israel relationship. It lobbies Congress and the executive branch, and spends millions on elections through its affiliated political action committees—such as the United Democracy Project—to support pro-Israel candidates and defeat any opposition or critics. They often lobby for good things, but they are also lobbying with great intensity to continue a major aggressive war against Iran, with the objective of destroying Iran’s viability as a nation.
AIPAC is Washington's most influential lobbying group, investing heavily in primary and general elections to back pro-Israel candidates from both the Democratic and Republican parties, and actively oppose and defeat its detractors.
You can check how much funding your Congressman or Senator gets from AIPAC and its associates through Track AIPAC. The 10 highest recipients in Congress are all Democrats, but in the top twenty are three Republicans. You can look at your whole state Congressional delegation at a glance just by entering for example, Track AIPAC South Carolina: South Carolina's Congressional Delegation — Track AIPAC or Track AIPAC North Carolina: https://www.trackaipac.com/states/northcarolina.
In South Carolina, of course, Iran and Ukraine war-hawk, Lindsey Graham, is the number one receiver of AIPAC funds to his campaign at $1,022,626, but that does not cover all AIPAC money that benefits Graham. AIPAC’s affiliated United Democracy Project (UDP) is a Super PAC that can raise and spend unlimited amounts of money to influence elections, but they are prohibited from coordinating directly with candidates or campaigns. They are immensely powerful because they can spend unlimited millions on advertising and voter outreach. Their advertising often concentrates on undermining opponents. They frequently receive funds from other Super PACS. According to HuffPost and Yahoo, Graham spent $27 million to win his Republican Primary race. This is undoubtedly predominantly Super PAC money. Several weeks before the primary, Graham had only a 34% favorable rating. Yet he won his primary with 57% of the vote. Graham lost both Greenville and Spartanburg counties. Trump campaigned for Graham, but I think he is making a serious mistake listening to Graham on either Iran or Ukraine.
As I have advised, I would not be too alarmed by modest AIPAC contributions. But maybe over $150,000 to $200,000 depending on circumstances should be of concern. Democrat Don Davis of NC01 received nearly $4.0 million, which is clearly AIPAC manipulation of NC elections.
You can also see AIPAC Congressional funding by putting AIPAC and the state, e.g. AIPAC Kentucky, in internet search engines. Highly principled Kentucky Republican Senator Rand Paul received only $2,000 in AIPAC funding. AIPAC, however, spent between $2.6 million and $5.0 million through UDP advertising and defeated Kentucky-04 incumbent Rep. Thomas Massie in the Republican Primary. Massie was a strong critic of AIPAC and rejected any funding from them. The U.S. is endanger of becoming a PACocracy.
Trump would be brave to continue backing the 14-Point MOU. It is a matter of U.S economic necessity and perhaps survival. However, of the $230 million Super PAC money Trump received in the 2024 Presidential Campaign, Marium Adelson contributed $215 million through AIPAC allied Super PACs. Unfortunately, Trump could blow the deal himself by an episode of careless and insulting threats.
Netanyahu and Israel need to give up presumptuously manifesting a Greater Israel by their sword or ours and wait for the Hand and means of God’s Providence.
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”—Proverbs 1:7“
“If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.”—James 1:5
Mike Scruggs is the author of two books: The Un-Civil War: Shattering the Historical Myths; and Lessons from the Vietnam War: Truths the Media Never Told You, and over 600 articles on military history, national security, intelligent design, genealogical genetics, immigration, current political affairs, Islam, and the Middle East. 
