Hardball

It was a rocky weekend for Middle East negotiations.

Last week, Oman and Iran were reportedly close to a deal that would open the Strait of Hormuz… then Saturday, Tehran released a (big) list of conditions for reopening. Iran is demanding the U.S.:

• Lift its naval blockade and withdraw forces in Iran’s neighborhood
• End attacks on Iran and its allies
• Pay war reparations, thaw frozen assets, and lift sanctions

Progress in Gaza is also stalled. On Sunday, Israel rejected President Trump’s 15-point plan for Hamas disarmament, saying Israeli forces won’t withdraw until Hamas is “genuinely disarmed.”

Uncle Sam’s Muslim allies had more diplomatic success. On Friday, Turkey, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia signed the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement, a pact modeled after NATO’s Article 5 (refresher here).

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Verse to consider whether your plans face an unexpected wrench or the day goes off without a hitch… “Many plans are in a person’s heart, but the LORD’s decree will prevail.”
Proverbs 19:21 (CSB) (read full passage)