Israel's strikes on Iran: Letters to the Editor — June 17, 2025
It was only a matter of time before Israel pulled the trigger ('Israel strikes Iran,' June 13).
Iran and its proxies have been taunting Israel (and, for that matter, the United States) for a very long time. The revelation of nuclear near-preparedness was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Israel will come out of this victoriously, and its neighbors and the rest of the world will be grateful for Israel's assault on this evil regime.
Ronald Frank
West Orange, NJ
National security is the responsibility of the governing body of a nation.
It is Israel's decision to bomb Iran to protect itself. It is not based on the opinion of other nations or groups.
Ed Houlihan
Ridgewood, NJ
The bitter lesson from the 9/11 terrorist attack is to neutralize threats before they materialize on our shores.
As the saying goes, 'If people show you who they are, believe them.' The last thing we need is to allow the world's most prolific sponsor of terrorism to have the world's most deadliest weapons.
President Trump bent over backward to 'give peace a chance' and to remedy this dangerous standoff diplomatically.
Whether the liberals of the world want to acknowledge it or not, the world is a lot safer with Iran defanged.
Luana Dunn
Medford
President Trump loves to make deals, but there are no deals that the Iranian regime can be trusted to honor.
A regime that violated the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty and the 2015 JCPOA (former President Obama's Iran deal), as well as its agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency on nuclear-facility inspections, can't be trusted to honor any deal concerning its nuclear weapons and ballistic-missile programs.
The only acceptable conclusion to the current conflict between Israel and Iran is an Israeli victory. This means the complete nuclear disarmament of Iran, overseen by the United States and the IAEA.
No deal that grants the Iranian regime anything else should even be considered, as this would be a recipe for a return of the Iranian nuclear threat currently being removed at such great cost.
Daniel H. Trigoboff
Williamsville
In June 1981, Israel destroyed an Iraqi nuclear reactor, depriving Saddam Hussein of the ability to develop nuclear weapons and simultaneously doing the world a favor.
This led to the declaration of the Begin Doctrine, which outlines Israel's policy of preventative military strikes to protect itself.
Forty-four years later, Israel has delivered again by crippling the nuclear program of yet another rogue nation. Toda lech!
Peter W. Kelly
Hazlet, NJ
The Issue: Sen. Alex Padilla being handcuffed and thrown out of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's briefing.
Last week, we witnessed a lawfully serving US senator wrestled to the floor and manhandled by security ('Senator in Noem boot,' June 13).
Is George Orwell's fictional world now the reality in President Trump's American autocracy?
Malcolm Odell, Jr.
Exeter, NH
I sent farewell letters to all my loved ones before carrying the sign 'De-throne the lying king' in a protest march this weekend.
I figured if a US senator could be thrown to the ground and handcuffed for simply asking a question, they wouldn't hesitate for a moment in sending this 82-year-old woman to El Salvador.
Sharon Austry
Fort Worth, Texas
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
4 minutes ago
- New York Post
Trump's tariff plan seems to be working — proving all the naysayers wrong
For all the 'sky-is-falling' cries over President Donald Trump's tariffs, it looks like his strategy may be working — just as his Aug. 1 deadline nears. In the past week, the Trump folks struck deals with Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines — and may be on the verge of a deal with Europe: On Friday, the prez cited a 50-50 chance of reaching an agreement with the European Union. These developments — on top of previous deals with Vietnam, the United Kingdom and a framework on rare-earth exports and tech restrictions with China — go a long way toward standing up Trump's vision for the international economy, with better terms for America. And at least so far, no catastrophic fallout. Heck, the nation looks poised to benefit enormously on several fronts. Trump's deals in Asia, for starters, reopen US access to cheap markets, sidestepping China, our greatest economic and military rival. Indonesia and the Philippines will pay 19% tariffs on their exports to the United States and levy 0% tariffs on more than 99% of US goods. Japan will see 15% tariffs and invest more than half a trillion dollars into the US economy. Washington will also slap fewer restrictions on Indonesian, Filipino and Japanese goods, everything from cars and clothes to electronics and rubber. And now EU officials are signaling their support for a deal that would mirror the one Trump made with Japan — reciprocal tariffs of 15%. Notably, the EU includes 27 countries in a shared common market, representing the largest singular trading bloc for the United States. The EU deal would clearly benefit US consumers looking to buy, say, French wines or German cars, and also US producers seeking wider access to the European markets. Keep up with today's most important news Stay up on the very latest with Evening Update. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters Meanwhile, the resolution of trade issues with so many countries will calm markets and bring confidence and stability to the business community. As for the predicted inflation, it's nowhere to be seen: June's consumer price index came in at a reasonable 2.7%. Recall it hit 9% under Joe Biden. That's partially because corporations, unsure of whether high tariffs will remain permanent and nervous about hiking prices, have absorbed most of the tariffs' costs, at least for now. More good news: The tariffs brought in $64 billion in revenue for the government in just the first three months since Trump's April 2 'Liberation Day' announcement. He's suggested issuing 'rebates' based on that haul, but far better to use the new revenue to pay down the runaway national debt. Yes, there's plenty more to do: Team Trump needs to finalize agreements with Canada, India and Mexico, along with the EU, and numerous smaller countries, before the president's across-the-board reciprocal tariffs hit Aug. 1. So considerable uncertainty remains. But clearly the signs are good, at least so far — despite all the doomy predictions.
The Hill
4 minutes ago
- The Hill
FEMA denying some funding after floods
Energy & Environment The Big Story FEMA denying some funding after floods A review of federal documents by The Hill shows that the administration denied such 'hazard mitigation' funds to states after 16 out of 18 flood disasters during the Trump presidency, with both of the approvals coming before mid-March. After the deadly Independence Day floods, the administration declined to provide Texas with access to a tranche of FEMA funds aimed at heading off the next disaster — money intended to pay for things such as warning systems, tornado shelters and anti-flood measures. It's not alone. In May, children in a Missouri elementary school sheltered from a tornado that shattered windows and ripped gutters off the building inside a safe room purchased with hazard mitigation money issued after the deadly 2011 Joplin tornado. Though the Trump administration approved Missouri's disaster declaration, it refused the hazard mitigation funds the state requested to buy generators and more outdoor warning sirens, state officials told The Hill. Missouri is appealing that decision. In neighboring Oklahoma, the Biden administration had in November approved hazard mitigation funding for wildfires and straight-line winds. But even as those funds went out, more wildfires, driven by straight-line winds, were raging across the Sooner State. President Trump issued a disaster declaration on the last day of the weeklong emergency — but denied hazard mitigation funding. It was the first time in at least 15 years that Oklahoma wasn't approved for requested hazard mitigation, according to state emergency management officials. This pivot — which breaks long-standing federal precedent — comes amid steep Trump cuts to FEMA, which he has also talked about eliminating entirely, as well as cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the federal forecasting and research apparatus. Welcome to The Hill's Energy & Environment newsletter, I'm Rachel Frazin — keeping you up to speed on the policies impacting everything from oil and gas to new supply chains. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will affect the energy and environment sectors now and in the future: NOAA places 2 high-ranking officials on leave The Trump administration has placed two high-ranking officials at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on leave amid a series of efforts to make cuts at the agency. Full Story US signs MOU with Mexico on Tijuana River sewage crisis The U.S. and Mexico on Thursday took collaborative steps toward curbing a long-standing, cross-border environmental crisis: the unfettered sewage flow from Tijuana into Southern California. Full Story Sanders, Democrats push effort to kill 'handouts' for fossil fuels in Trump's 'big, beautiful bill' Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and other critics of the Trump administration's environmental policies are renewing a push for legislation that would end energy subsidies that the critics say will 'destroy the planet.' Full Story What Others are Reading Two key stories on The Hill right now: 'South Park' creators double down on episode skewering Trump 'South Park' creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone had a simple response to the furor the often-controversial show stoked this week with an episode showing President Trump in bed with Satan and making fun of what they depicted as the president's small genitals. Read more Third court blocks Trump birthright citizenship order nationwide after Supreme Court decision A third court ruled Friday that President Trump's birthright citizenship executive order cannot go into effect across the country, following the Supreme Court's decision last month clawing back nationwide injunctions. Read more
The Hill
4 minutes ago
- The Hill
Democrat Wiley Nickel may suspend NC Senate campaign: Reports
Former Rep. Wiley Nickel (D-N.C.), who launched his campaign for Senate in April, is now mulling whether to suspend his campaign and instead enter the race for an open district attorney position in Wake County, two local stations and Semafor reported Friday. A shift from Wiley would open up the Senate field for former Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who has not yet formally launched his campaign but is expected to do so next week, Axios reported. Many Democrats are hoping for the former governor to run for a seat that is wide open after Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) announced he would not seek reelection. Wiley served one term in Congress, from 2022 to 2024, opting not to run again after his district was re-drawn to heavily favor Republicans. Nickel is instead considering entering the race for the open district attorney position in Wake County, the state's most populous, WNCN and WRAL reported. Democrats are hoping North Carolina could be a prime pickup opportunity in the upcoming midterms. The party would need to flip four seats to gain control of the upper chamber. The general election is shaping up to be a showdown between Cooper and Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Whatley, who is running with the blessing of President Trump. Tills's successful reelection bid in 2020 became the most expensive race in Senate history after a close challenge from Democrat Cal Cunningham. The Republican senator announced he would not seek reelection in June after Trump mulled backing a challenger over Tillis's opposition to the 'big, beautiful bill.' After Tillis announced he would retire, the Cook Political Report rated the race a toss-up.
