The diplomatic discussions this week have failed to avert the rush to another round of Israel/US-Iran war. Both public and non-public signs point in the same direction – the hostilities can start as early as this weekend. The final decision is in the hands of a single person who all too often listens to the wrong people. Absent a 180-degree turn by Trump, the third round of this war of choice appears all but certain.

Sadly, Trump continues to listen to Israeli PM Netanyahu, who is aggressively pushing for war and who has sold Trump the mythology that through an all-out bombing campaign that targets Iran’s energy and critical infrastructure, a military victory can be achieved that allows Trump to win the war on his own terms.

Trump is once again buying what Netanyahu is selling. But he is not only buying the rationale for another round, but he is also adopting Israel’s metric of success: Pure destruction.

While we are horrified by the destruction in Gaza, Israeli leaders see it as evidence of success. Their strategic goal is destruction that sets back their enemies decades. They don’t believe in peace, but rather in war as a foundational state and, as a result, success in war is to set back your enemies years, if not decades. Israel’s Defense Minister Katz has explicitly stated that the goal in the next round of the war is to set back Iran decades and bomb it back to the Stone Age. Trump, in turn, rambles about how much of Iran’s military capabilities he has destroyed, as if such tactical achievements amount to a strategic win in and of themselves. In Israel, they do. In the US, not so much.

We’ll discuss this and much more during our 12th Q&A session, as it reveals what likely will happen in the next round of war. It is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct 27 at 10:00 AM Eastern Time. (By request, I am scheduling this session a bit earlier in the day to allow subscribers in Asia to partake)

Btw, I discussed this, and much more, on Glenn Diesen’s show yesterday. You can watch it here:

All my writing is free; I do not paywall the analysis. But for the busy members of the community who want to go beyond the headlines, I host exclusive Zoom briefings and Q&As for paid subscribers.

The conversation will go in whatever direction you choose to take it. So join me this coming Tuesday, Oct 27 at 10:00 AM for a 45-minute Q&A and discussion via Zoom.

Register for the Zoom here:

(I will post the video on my Substack afterward, available only to paid subscribers).