As US President Donald Trump threatens Iran with annihilation, Iranian missiles and drones have been targeting Israeli Mossad proxies, American bases and destroying tankers in the Strait of Hormuz. Washington’s allies in Riyadh are meanwhile suffering enormous losses due to their war on Yemen, which has collapsed a joint project that sought to inflict regime change.
In the latest episode of The Target stream, MintPress News’ Robert Inlakesh takes a look at the silent ballistic missile attacks that are being carried out against US bases in Jordan that are no longer even receiving comment from US Central Command. As President Trump’s rhetoric at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) suggested genocidal intent, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has been acting preemptively to take out rising threats.
With gas prices continuing to go up, hitting working class people in their pockets, the Trump administration is refusing to end the war on Iran and continues to back up Israel at every turn. The US media, on the other hand, is leaking more damning reports about the stunning military failure in the Persian Gulf, exposing that the Navy noted a total of 8 attempted suicides aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also addressed the General Assembly, speaking to an almost empty room as up to 77 nations delegates walked out upon him taking to the podium. During his speech, he played victim while also holding up a prop pager in reference to the Mossad operation carried out against Hezbollah in Lebanon two years ago. Up to 3,000 people were wounded in what the former head of the CIA, Leon Panetta, labelled an act of terrorism.
Beyond that, the Israeli Premier’s speech was received as weak. Robert Inlakesh notes that two years ago Netanyahu had ordered the assassination of Hezbollah leader Seyyed Hassan Nasrallah from the United Nations building, while this time around he decided to complain about popular streamer Hasan Piker.
Back in Tel Aviv, the Israeli media have been signalling that their aid in targeting the Yemeni Armed Forces could be a stepping stone towards normalisation with Saudi Arabia. Yet, it hasn’t proven a very successful one. Riyadh’s proxy forces in Yemen continue to take a beating, losing more territory by the day, as the Ansarallah-led government in Sana’a vows to deliver more crushing blows to Saudi infrastructure in retaliation for ongoing air strikes.
Israel’s presence on the strategic Mayyun Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait has officially come to an end, as Yemen keeps a close eye on its military buildups in Somaliland and Socotra Island.
Last year, the Israeli leadership were presenting their grand plans for regional hegemony to the world, openly discussing the Greater Israel Project, however, the repeated failures of the US-Israeli alliance in their war against Iran and its allies have left them lashing out irrationally with no clear route to victory.
The Target stream analyses this growing shift, the change in power dynamics, the footage coming from the battlefield in Yemen and the desperate propaganda of the US empire’s allies.
Facts Only
* Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israeli Mossad proxies, American bases, and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.
* Losses occurred for Washington's allies in Riyadh due to the war on Yemen.
* Ballistic missile attacks were carried out against US bases in Jordan.
* The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) acted preemptively against rising threats.
* The Trump administration refused to end the war on Iran and supported Israel.
* Reports noted eight attempted suicides aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln strike group.
* Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the General Assembly.
* Former CIA head Leon Panetta labelled an operation as terrorism, resulting in up to 3,000 wounded people.
* Aid targeting Yemeni Armed Forces was suggested by Israeli media could lead to normalization with Saudi Arabia.
* Israel’s presence on Mayyun Island in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait ended.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The narrative presents a complex interplay where escalating rhetoric and military actions are juxtaposed against observed strategic failures and shifting regional power dynamics. The focus on threats—such as the administration's rhetoric and IRGC preemptive action—is balanced by reports of operational setbacks, such as the documented military failures in the Persian Gulf and losses for Saudi allies in Yemen. A critical pattern emerging is the use of high-stakes conflict to generate political positioning, where appeals are made to both internal and external audiences simultaneously. The juxtaposition of Netanyahu's public posturing—shifting from demanding actions against Hezbollah to referencing unrelated figures—suggests a performance of victimhood rather than consistent strategic objective, which complicates claims of unified resolve. Furthermore, the reporting on shifting alliances between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and the contested status of Israeli presence in Yemen, reveals a struggle over regional hegemony where outcomes are less about stated grand plans and more about localized, reciprocal blows. The focus on external actors, such as the "US empire’s allies," alongside internal military statistics suggests a framing designed to create an atmosphere of existential crisis that reinforces existing power structures rather than offering clarity on agency or genuine pathfinding for any actor involved.
Bridge Questions: How do the reported military failures in the Persian Gulf align with the stated strategic objectives attributed to the US and its allies? What mechanisms exist, beyond rhetoric and kinetic action, that can successfully establish regional equilibrium amidst these competing pressures? What is the long-term consequence of framing success or failure solely through the lens of immediate military engagements rather than underlying geopolitical shifts?
Sentinel — Human
The text functions as geopolitical commentary, weaving factual elements with interpretive narrative threads about shifting power dynamics among regional actors, suggesting human editorial structuring rather than pure synthetic generation.