by Amelie Botbol\/JNS.org<\/p>\n\n\n\n
U.S. President Donald Trump said this week that renewed military action against Iran was a possibility if the mullahs \u201cmisbehave, if they do something bad.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cRight now, we\u2019ll see. It\u2019s a possibility that could happen, certainly,\u201d the president told reporters before departing Palm Beach, Fla.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Responding to reports that Tehran retains some 15% of its ballistic missile capabilities, Trump said he \u201cwould like to eliminate it\u201d as it would constitute \u201ca start for them to build up again.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trump said he would be reviewing Tehran\u2019s latest proposal for a diplomatic agreement on the plane. The Trump administration is seeking to settle the Iran issue through a deal or military action \u201cso nobody has to go back in two years or five years,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a subsequent post on Truth Social, Trump indicated he was set to reject the Islamic regime\u2019s offer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI will soon be reviewing the plan that Iran has just sent to us, but can\u2019t imagine that it would be acceptable in that they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to humanity, and the world, over the last 47 years,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Iran on Thursday presented the United States with a 14-point updated proposal for a framework to end the war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to two sources briefed on the plan cited by Axios<\/em> on Saturday, it proposes a one-month deadline for talks on a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, lift the U.S. naval blockade and permanently end the fighting in Iran and Lebanon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The plan states that negotiations on Tehran\u2019s nuclear program would only start after an initial agreement is reached, the sources said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFirst, let us be absolutely clear about the nature of these negotiations. We are not dealing with a rational actor. The regime in Tehran is the world\u2019s leading sponsor of terrorism, and its recent proposals are nothing more than a desperate stalling tactic to rebuild its battered military infrastructure,\u201d Likud lawmaker Dan Illouz told JNS on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Illouz said he believes Trump is entirely serious about a potential military option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe president has a proven track record of understanding the realities of the Middle East, and he knows that the Iranian regime responds only to unyielding strength. He understands that conceding any control of the Strait of Hormuz to Iran would be a catastrophic surrender for the free world,\u201d Illouz said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe have full confidence that the United States, acting as the global superpower it is, will see through these diplomatic maneuvers, maintain the blockade, and apply the maximum pressure needed to finish the job that began with Operation Epic Fury,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Addressing what he described as a second, fundamental issue, Illouz stressed that Israel must never outsource its security, even to its closest allies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe deeply value our alliance with the United States and our joint efforts in this conflict. However, our survival is not subject to international consensus or diplomatic timetables,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf the international community hesitates, or if a political compromise is advanced that leaves the Iranian threat intact, Israel will not wait for permission to defend itself. As we are currently demonstrating against Hezbollah in Lebanon, we have the military capability, the national resolve, and the moral duty to protect our citizens,\u201d he continued.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIf we are forced to act alone to neutralize the Iranian threat once and for all, we will do exactly that. Israel\u2019s security is not up for negotiation,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n