U.S. Threatens Military Action Against Hamas
In this morning’s brief we’ll look at how this wild week is wrapping up with respect to Europe’s militarization. Our main story, Josué Michels’s “‘Europe Needs a Defense Union,’” discusses plans to coordinate military efforts independent of the U.S., even if it means a “multispeed Europe” with some countries moving forward faster than others—just like biblical prophecy says.
Meanwhile, can we make sense of the Trump administration’s Middle East policy? This morning we learn about secret negotiations with Hamas and a simultaneous threat of military lethality, and President Trump sending a letter to Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei.
Secret talks and the threat of war: Steve Witkoff, the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East who pushed for the disastrous ceasefire and lopsided hostage swap with Hamas, now says the U.S. and Israel may launch joint military action against the terrorist group.
Context: The Trump administration has been holding covert negotiations with Hamas to secure the release of hostages in Gaza. Israel was blindsided and upset by this, according to Axios. It advised America not to do it; the fact that Trump did it anyway not only disregarded Israel, but also broke U.S. tradition of not engaging directly with designated terrorist organizations. But President Trump is not a man bound by diplomatic traditions.
Then came Trump’s demand that Hamas turn over all hostages, living and dead, or “you are DEAD!” Now, Witkoff’s statement adds punch to that threat. He did emphasize that any military action would primarily involve Israeli forces, but with substantial support from the United States.
Unsurprisingly, Hamas has rejected Trump’s demands, insisting that hostages will only be freed as part of a broader ceasefire agreement. It is believed that 24 hostages in Gaza are still alive. Hamas has warned that any escalation by Israel could endanger these hostages, further complicating the situation. We watch closely for signs of which direction this will go because of its implications for Israel’s future and that of the U.S.-Israel brotherhood.
Trump writes Iran’s supreme leader: This morning President Trump revealed that he sent a letter to Iran’s Ayatollah Ali Khamenei proposing negotiations for a new nuclear agreement. He emphasized that such a deal would be more beneficial for Iran than facing potential military action, asserting that “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon.”
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency reports that Iran has significantly increased its stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium, enough to build multiple nuclear bombs, and political turmoil suggests increased determination to attain nukes. Mihailo Zekic has an article in the Trumpet issue we sent to press last night about why negotiation with Iran will always fail (watch for this article to post next week). Here again, the question arises of how far President Trump is willing to go to claim a diplomatic victory.
Tariffs delayed, again: President Trump hit pause on the 25 percent tariffs imposed earlier this week on most goods from Canada and Mexico, shaking up his unpredictable trade policy yet again. The exemptions run until April 2, when a global wave of reciprocal tariffs could kick in. In response, Canada is holding off on a planned second round of retaliatory tariffs on $87.4 billion in U.S. products. With businesses and investors on edge, markets are trending downward, and the trade landscape remains uncertain.
Head-shaking government corruption keeps getting exposed: Joe Biden’s administration got $370 billion for the Environmental Protection Agency to fight climate change. Last month it was revealed that the charity connected to Georgia governor-candidate Stacey Abrams received $2 billion of that money, despite being founded only in late 2023. The New York Post now shows that at least $20 billion of the EPA’s climate fund was awarded to similarly fishy startup environmental groups. One such group, Climate United Fund, scored nearly $7 billion last April, just five months after it launched and despite lacking public financial records. It turns out longtime Democratic political consultant John Podesta was in charge of directing how that money was doled out. This is how it works in the swamp: When a big spending bill is coming, charities pop up out of nowhere to suck up the cash.
EPA Chief Lee Zeldin has vowed to recover these funds. The FBI and DOJ have launched investigations, freezing billions of dollars as scrutiny over the program intensifies. The age of exposure continues.
