Iran and The US: Talks in Oman.

Trump was meeting his partner in crime, Bibi Netanyahu, in the White House. It's the usual thing with Trump when entertaining world leaders. Both leaders were sitting in the usual gold material chairs. Their teams sat on either side of them. The world's press was asking both dictators, sorry leaders, questions. Netanyahu waxed lyrical about how Trump was the best friend for Israel of all US Presidents. Trump kept shaking Netanyahu's hand again and again. Trump had discussed tariffs, Gaza, Iran, and other issues with Netanyahu. Both men will be walking shoulder to shoulder on all issues. Israel and the US, especially with Trump in the White House, are lockstep together. Israel is the apple of the US's eye, and that was the case with Biden, too. Israel's relationship with the US is even greater than with the UK. "Well, thanks USA, we in the UK, because of our shared history, should be closer, but apparently not"!

The US and Israel have much in common. The US was a settler, largely European project, that came up against the Native people of the land. Manifest Destiny was the mantra (that Trump recently revived), giving settlers carte blanche to settle the interior of the land. Exploit its resources and put what was left of the Native people on reservations. So it's similar in Israel, largely European descended Jews with Zionism exploiting the land and resources, and pushing out the Palestinians.

Historically, Jews have always lived in the Holy Land. However, Zionism is not Judaism, and its origins are in Europe. It's a nationalist and colonial movement to establish a land for the Jewish people. However, today's Israel is not the Biblical Israel. Today's Israel is a largely secular society, which is a thousand miles away from the Jewish Homeland of the Bible. Many Palestinians who are being driven out by Israel may literally be the descendants of Jews who never left. While Jews left for Europe after the destruction of the Temple by the Romans, some stayed. Some converted to Christianity and later Islam. So when Israel kills, maims, and drives out Palestinians, they are harming their brethren.

Trump in Netanyahu's presence dropped a bombshell (no pun intended, honest!). Trump said the US and Iran will meet in Oman on Saturday to discuss the ongoing tension between the two nations. Oman is the middle person between the US and the Islamic Republic. When Trump wrote a letter to the Ayatollah, Oman handled its delivery. Oman handled the Ayatollah's reply and handed it over to the US. The standoff between Iran and the US is over Iran's development of nuclear energy. Some say Iran's nuke industry is for peaceful purposes, while others say Iran is not far away from creating nuclear weapons.

Trump, with Netanyahu's blessing, has chosen to believe that Iran's nuclear industry is for producing a bomb. So, the basic message of Trump to Iran is, "Get around the table and commit to another nuke deal or face bombing". Trump has been building up US forces to either bluff Iran into a deal, or he is serious. Iran has also been beefing up its armed forces.

The Americans say the talks will be direct, like two sides sitting opposite each other around a table. The Iranians say the talks will be indirect. Trump says he hopes the talks will be successful. If not, "it will be a bad day for Iran". The Iranian Foreign Minister, posted on X, which is banned in Iran, said the meeting will be a test and an opportunity. The ball, the Foreign Minister continued, is in America's court.