Rocky Waters Ahead

There is a vast distinction between living in the Western hemisphere and living in the Middle East.  When your destiny is anchored to this region, there is literally nowhere else to go. People living in the north of Israel have been bombarded by Hezbollah. People in the center have been pummeled by the Islamic Republic. Even Eilat has gotten its share.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has always said they will annihilate “the Great Satan”, (the United States), but their first course is “the Little Satan”, (Israel). At this point, in a failed attempt to anger the United States, the regime has lashed out not only at Israel and American military bases, but at their Sunni Arab neighbors.

This is backfiring on Iran.

On March 12^th, the UN Security Council met and adopted a legally binding resolution, sponsored by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) condemning the Iranian actions. The GCC is composed of the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar and Kuwait. Russia and China abstained.

This resolution had the highest number of signatories as cosponsors,  a total of 135.

Some within the Trump administration seem to be content with letting Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei and his regime stand, as long as the US is diminishing their supply of ballistic missiles and highly enriched uranium.

However, the toxic and lethal components of the Islamic Republic, if allowed to remain intact, will continue to shower their terror proxies with money and influence, continue to create more ballistic missiles and nuclear bombs, and will continue the relentless repression of their own people.

In January of 2026, when the IRGC and the Basij were shooting masses of demonstrators on the streets, President Trump urged them, tweeting, “Iranian Patriots, KEEP PROTESTING – TAKE OVER YOUR INSTITUTIONS!!!… HELP IS ON ITS WAY.”

However, President Trump is now listening to the pain many Americans are feeling at the pump, and keeping a watchful eye toward the midterm elections.

The actions taken by the US and the IDF include airstrikes targeting regime figures, such as Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and at least 40 other high-ranking members of his regime; striking their remaining nuclear infrastructure in Natanz, Fordo and Isfahan.  They are also hitting Kharg Island, which is Iran’s oil-producing hub, just 15 miles off of Iran. A video released by US Central Command shows the strike destroying  90 locations, including mine facilities, missile  storage bunkers and multiple military sites, while preserving the oil infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Iran’s terror proxy, Hezbollah, has been raining down 200 rockets and 20 drones onto Israel’s north, forcing millions into shelters. The assault has caused damage in as much as 50 kilometers below the Lebanese border, as the IRGC has assaulted most of central Israel.  The IDF has managed to intercept most of the missiles, although fragments from intercepted missiles have fallen on many communities.

It is a multifront campaign against the Islamic Republic and its favorite terror proxy, Hezbollah, which is paying a heavy price for its actions. An Israeli wave of strikes has been carried out in southern Beirut and many of Hezbollah’s elite units, including the Radwan force, have been neutralized.

This might involve a serious bump in the road between the expectations in this war of President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

President Trump wants to upend the Islamic Republic; Bibi wants to end it. There might be rocky waters ahead.

Sarah N. Stern is founder and president of EMET, a think tank and policy institute specializing in the Middle East, in Washington, DC.