“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.”
— Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana

It has now been close to a month since protests erupted in Iran. At the time, U.S. President Donald J. Trump reportedly said he would come to their rescue. “Help is on its way,” he said on January 13, 2026. As of the time of writing, February 1, no help is on its way. In fact, the U.S. president has radically changed tact. He now appears “open for business” with Iran and seeks a deal under which Iran would scrap its nuclear program, alongside its missile and proxy networks.

U.S. warships are arriving in the Middle East and the Persian Gulf by the day. Even the port of Eilat has seen the relatively rare occurrence of a U.S. destroyer docking at its port. The U.S. president has threatened a response far worse than Midnight Hammer, when the United States bombed the Fordow nuclear facility with bunker busters during Israel’s Operation Rising Lion in June 2025, should Iran refuse to agree to his terms. The Iranians, in turn, are “negotiating” with the Americans, while simultaneously issuing threats of open war should any strike occur. So far, those of us in Israel are stuck in the middle of a dangerously escalating precipice, with war liable to break out at any moment.

However, Trump has yet to strike Iran, puzzling even many right-wing commentators. Some suggest he is under immense pressure, particularly from Gulf and Saudi allies, not to attack Iran. These countries........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)