In private, though, does anyone think the Saudis or Emiratis are sad to see the IRGC decapitated? Iran has spent decades destabilizing Arab states and fomenting chaos. Its neighbors might be afraid of it—but don't confuse that for genuine friendship or support in the region.

The Gulf reconciliation with Iran was basically a protection racket: paying off the local mob boss so nobody burns down your store. That's also why Saudi Arabia was so quick to condemn Israel's strikes on Iran this morning, and why most (if not all) other Gulf states will follow.

That goes for Gulf states too. There's been some baffling commentary in recent months (e.g. here in @ForeignAffairs) about how they no longer perceive Iran as a major threat. It confuses a tactical rapprochement with a genuine warming of relations. www.foreignaffairs.com/israel/new-b...

The dilemma for Trump is that the stunt works exactly once. If it doesn't unblock the negotiations—which, from the outside, do seem genuinely stuck on the issue of enrichment—then you have to choose between following through on your threats or devaluing them

"Still, even among those pressing for diplomacy, there is concern about the president's penchant for changing his mind depending on who he’s last spoken to. There's a fear Trump... could act on rhetoric many largely deem negotiating bravado." www.politico.com/news/2025/06...

Was Huckabee freelancing a bit? Hard to imagine Trump getting this deep in the weeds of Israeli politics. And it wouldn't be the first time a Trump ambassador to Israel was out of step with the president (e.g. David Friedman and annexation).

I'm curious to see how this will play in Trumpworld. The isolationist wing dislikes Netanyahu (for obvious reasons) and distrusts Huckabee (he's a neocon). The latter intervening to help the former—supposedly because of "the Iranian issue", no less—won't go over well