Iran has vowed to continue to sponsor attacks on Israel on its own and through its proxies, the Houthis, Hezbollah and Hamas.
Iran’s ballistic missile program is a threat to Israel and other American interests and allies in the region. In the past week, Iran has attacked Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, Iraq and Jordan.
Without the ability to target missile launchers, Israel would be a sitting duck.
There must be a path to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at some point, just as there must be a resolution to the war in Iran that does not compromise Israel’s security.
— Holly Rothkopf, Boynton Beach
Trump, tormented by the media
There’s an element of gamesmanship to conducting foreign policy and negotiations. The more sensitive the subjects, terms and personalities of the negotiators, the less predictable are the outcomes.
President Trump, author of “The Art of The Deal,” is renowned for his negotiating skills and his bravado at manipulating the results he wanted. He exhibited these skills recently in bringing belligerents to the table and leaving with a peace or a settlement that was not a predictable outcome.
But his success in defeating or actually crushing Iran in a few short weeks has been blunted by their rabid refusals to capitulate to his demands for disarming. As a result, talks have drawn on, and he has failed to gain Iran’s acceptance of peace terms.
This has been Trump’s greatest failure as the media torments him with daily reminders that the war is not over.
Whoever thought that America’s media could never align with the enemy does not know the story of The New York Times, the Nazis and Soviets. History does repeat itself.
— Richard Klitzberg, Princeton, Fla.
Look at the full picture
Those condemning the Iran war are not looking at the full picture.
The Iranians must never have a nuclear weapon, nor do they have the right to control the Strait of Hormuz. For 47 years, they have been chanting “Death to America,” and now they have depicted President Trump in an open coffin with the words “We Kill Trump.”
Iran never intended to comply with the memorandum of understanding. It was only a means to lie, cheat and delay. And waiting until we are in imminent danger to strike Iran is already too late.
No one but Trump ever had the foresight and fortitude to disable, disarm and incapacitate Iran. And in the final analysis, Trump’s actions will be justified.
— JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater
Testosterone testing
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth has announced that recruits over 30 years old will be part of a mandatory annual testosterone health assessment.
Any recommended treatment, including hormone replacement therapy, would be optional.
Leaving aside current medical screening guidelines and who will recommend what, I have a question for The High-T Department of War, as the online announcement said.
Will estrogen testing also be required for recruits over 30? Asking for a friend who would like to serve her country, has nursing school debts, and believes in science.
— Nancy S. Cohen, Lighthouse Point
H.L. Mencken, updated
Allow me, please, to paraphrase journalist and social critic H.L. Mencken’s famous quip, making it applicable to today: “Democracy is the theory that the common people knew they wanted Trump, and deserve to get it good and hard!”
— Vivian Woda, Delray Beach
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