US Diplomats, Not Bombers, Must Finish the Job in Iran
The Beltway debate over whether Iranian nuclear capabilities have been 'obliterated' or can be revived within months largely misses the point. An accurate damage assessment will take weeks, not days, and it will likely require the return of international nuclear inspectors to the sites at Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow. More important, the whereabouts of Iran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium remain unclear. Advanced centrifuges may be hidden away. Not all the country's nuclear scientists have been killed. The possibility that the regime might put those three elements together and race to build a crude nuclear device can't be ruled out.
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Fox News
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Why Syria plays a key role in Trump's plans for Middle East peace
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump signed an executive order lifting most U.S. sanctions on Syria, in a move experts say reflects growing recognition inside the administration that Syria, long a battleground for Iranian influence and Islamist terror, may now offer the U.S. a rare opportunity to reclaim regional leverage, counter enemies, and support allies like Israel and Jordan. At a White House press briefing Monday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters, "This is another promise made and promise kept by this president," she said, referring to Trump's recent meeting with Syria's new transitional leader Ahmed al-Sharaa during a trip to Saudi Arabia. "He's committed to supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors." "The sanctions did their job," David Schenker, former assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern Affairs and now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, told Fox News Digital. "They were crippling by and large. There's zero economic life in the country. But Trump is giving Syria a chance to succeed." Javed Ali, former senior official at the National Security Council and professor at the University of Michigan, told Fox News Digital, "It's a strategic calculation. A Syria that no longer hosts Iranian proxies, cooperates on counterterrorism, and integrates with Arab neighbors serves U.S. interests on every front." According to Schenker, Syria has taken steps the U.S. has long demanded: allowing inspections by the IAEA and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, sharing intelligence on ISIS, and cooperating with American liaison officers on counterterrorism. "These groups have declared al-Sharaa an infidel. They themselves are being attacked by ISIS," he noted. For the U.S., the stakes extend far beyond sanctions relief. Schenker said a stable Syria focused on education and social services, rather than military buildup, would be far less fertile ground for ISIS or Iranian influence. Ali described the current moment as part of a broader Trump strategy: "Now with Assad gone, it's another blow to the Islamic Republic of Iran. This creates an opportunity to coalesce the Sunni Arab states – either around the Abraham Accords or a growing anti-Iran coalition." The U.S. military still maintains a small but critical footprint in Syria – approximately 1,000 troops across three to four bases in the northeast – providing vital intelligence and rapid strike capability. "That footprint has been one of our most important counterterrorism outposts," Ali said. "We've seen multiple targeted operations this year alone." He said, however, that deeper U.S.-Syrian cooperation could bring new complications. "There's always a risk that as ties deepen, either the U.S. could reduce its presence – or al-Sharaa might ask us to scale back," Ali said. "That could impact our ability to monitor jihadist activity or manage the tens of thousands of ISIS detainees still in camps guarded by SDF forces." Meanwhile, the diplomatic implications of Trump's move are drawing global attention. Syria's new leadership has publicly distanced itself from Iran, reportedly blocked Hezbollah weapon shipments, and dismantled multiple Iranian military posts across the country. "The president is genuinely focused on expanding the Abraham Accords," said Schenker. "He sees Syria as the next possible candidate." NSC spokesman Taylor Rogers told Fox News Digital. "President Trump is working towards lasting peace in the Middle East, which includes supporting a Syria that is stable, unified, and at peace with itself and its neighbors. The President is empowering Syria's success by lifting sanctions on export controls while maintaining sanctions on terrorists and all other potential threats to the United States. The President made a promise to give Syria a chance to rebuild and thrive by lifting sanctions, and this President keeps his promises." Still, normalization with Israel remains politically fraught. Syria remains officially at war with the Jewish state, and while Sharaa has hinted at accepting the pre-1974 ceasefire lines, jihadist factions and Islamist groups within Syria remain staunchly opposed. "There have already been reported assassination attempts on Sharaa," Schenker said. "It's going to get harder if he moves from non-belligerency to full normalization." Charles Lister, director of the Syria program at the Middle East Institute, told Fox News Digital, "Syria has always been an open wound in the center of the region – an engine of instability… But if it stabilizes now, it unlocks a path for broader regional integration. It connects Israel and Jordan to a more secure arc and reduces the need for heavy U.S. military involvement." Despite encouraging signs on the diplomatic track – such as reported back-channel talks and reduced rhetoric – Israeli airstrikes on Syrian territory have continued, with hundreds launched this year alone. Syria's new leadership has not responded militarily, but tensions remain high. "The facts on the ground don't yet reflect the progress being made behind closed doors," Lister said. "We just have to hope that those two dynamics meet in the middle, and things calm down on the ground as well."
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Opinion Live Q&A: How Did Markets Defy Six Months of Chaos?
Marcus Ashworth Listen 31:33 The first half of the year has been a geopolitical mess. President Donald Trump's chaotic approach to tariffs, escalating military conflict in the Middle East, the continuing war in Ukraine and the existential threat posed to NATO have left financial markets ... largely unscathed? To discuss, Bloomberg Opinion's Jonathan Levin joins Marcus Ashworth and Robert Burgess for a live Q&A on Tuesday, July 1 at 11:00 a.m. EDT. This conversation will be recorded and be made available to listen and share. Bloomberg digital subscribers and Terminal clients are invited to sign in and ask our team questions while it's live.
Fox News
an hour ago
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Israel fighting 'very tough' war in Gaza, retired British Army colonel says
The world's focus on the Middle East has seemingly shifted back to the Israel-Hamas war following the conflict with Iran that culminated in the historic strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities. For more than 20 months, Israel has operated in Gaza following Hamas' brutal surprise attacks on Oct. 7, 2023. The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) have been heavily scrutinized over their handling of the war, particularly when it comes to damage to civilian areas and the distribution of humanitarian aid. However, Ret. British Col. Richard Kemp told Fox News Digital that Israel is doing everything it can to avoid civilian casualties whenever possible. Kemp, who recently returned from a trip to Israel and Gaza, said that the war has been "very tough" as Hamas continues to embed itself among the civilian population or in tunnels. "In my view, the IDF have been conducting it very effectively," Kemp said. "They've killed huge numbers of Hamas terrorists. They've destroyed a lot of Hamas' infrastructure, including some of the tunnels, but they've got a long way to go yet. The fight's not over yet." In Kemp's assessment, the fighting in Gaza will continue until Israel defeats Hamas, which becomes a difficult task for an army actively avoiding civilian casualties, something the former British officer said he witnessed "personally." Kemp also told Fox News Digital that civilian deaths in Gaza are "unavoidable" because of how Hamas operates. He argued that this is part of the terror group's "primary objective," which he says is "to get the IDF to kill as many civilians as possible so they can achieve what they have achieved, which is the vilification of Israel, the isolation of Israel, and the condemnation of Israel — the accusations of war crimes and genocide — none of which are true." He commended the IDF, saying that Israeli forces have "done a quite extraordinary job that no other army probably could do of maximizing the destruction of Hamas while minimizing the deaths of civilians." While on the ground in Gaza, Kemp had the opportunity to speak with civilians and visit aid distribution sites run by the U.S.- and Israel-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). He said the civilians who spoke with him were grateful for the aid and recognized the role the U.S., under President Donald Trump, has played. At the same time, they hold Hamas responsible for putting them in "the terrible situation they're in now." When asked about the criticism GHF has faced from the international community — particularly the United Nations — Kemp said that the organization is working in a way that is "uniquely suitable" for the situation in Gaza. He argued that the U.N. is attempting to apply a "standard template solution," which does not work for Gaza, as evidenced by the amount of aid stolen by Hamas. "Some of them told me it was the first time since the war began, 20 months ago, that they have actually received any free aid at all," Kemp told Fox News Digital. He said that in some instances, Hamas would steal aid and sell the goods at premium prices that many civilians could not afford. Kemp emphasized the need for other nations and major humanitarian organizations to support the GHF and noted the recent $30 million in funding the organization had received from the U.S. "No other country that I know of has directly contributed funding to the GHF, and they should do so because the GHF, not the U.N., is the future of aid deliveries into Gaza," Kemp told Fox News Digital. He also acknowledged that the U.N. has a role to play, but added that it must be "in the interest of the people of Gaza, not bureaucracy."
