In recent developments President Trump’s ‘project freedom’ operation to open the Strait of Hormuz for captured shipping interests has been paused following Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal of support and their revocation of Saudi air bases for U.S. operations.

The issue behind the Saudi decision is not that complicated if you understand the longer-term background.  However, the issue behind the Saudi decision also highlights a key ¹flaw in the Promethean analysis of the relationship (and the reason I caution everyone to sip slowly from this information source).

The cliff notes version is that Saudi Arabia and many of the Gulf States look at the negotiations between President Trump and Iranian interests with skepticism.  The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) wants a complete and final elimination of the threat Iran represents. They do not believe Iran can be negotiated out of that threat.  The GCC view negotiations as an Iranian delay tactic.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salmon, the main voice in the GCC position, has clear eyes and a long historic view on the threat Iran represents. They accept the people in control of the Iran regime will do and say anything to pause or remove the military confrontation; but they will never stop building the arsenal for war. There is zero, absolutely zero trust in anything the Iranians say on this matter.

As a consequence, Saudi Arabia understands the intent of President Trump’s request to support ‘project freedom’, however Saudi Arabia is not going to accept continued missile attacks from Iran during this ‘humanitarian’ effort to reopen the Strait. [Remember, this is also a Muslim Brotherhood issue.  The Brotherhood is the political network behind extremist Islam.]

President Trump is asking Saudi Arabia and the GCC states to view the continued Iranian attacks as small slights, small provocations, while he diplomatically tries to negotiate with the Iranian regime.  MbS and the GCC are unwilling to take this position, to accept these continued attacks against their nations, simply to give President Trump the political benefit of his policy.

Again, the Saudi’s and GCC have been dealing with this extremist threat for decades. They are unwilling to compromise in order to give space for negotiations they view as futile.  The U.S. can use all Saudi support venues to confront Iran militarily, but they are not going to support the political and diplomatic effort behind ‘project freedom’ while they are simultaneously expected to accept continued attacks from Iran.

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President Trump invited global leaders to Washington DC to participate in the inaugural meeting of the Board of Peace. U.S President Donald Trump, U.S. Vice President JD Vance, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner all delivered remarks during the event.

Participating countries include Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bulgaria, Cambodia, El Salvador, Hungary, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Mongolia, Pakistan, Paraguay, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates.

The Vatican and Pope Leo rejected an invitation to participate, concerned the Global Board of Peace may overshadow the United Nations, and that would not be acceptable to the Catholic Church or the European Union. Full video of the event below:

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A lesser-known member of Ansar al Sharia, the Islamic group who conducted the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi Libya, Zubayar Al-Bakoush, was captured and indicted by federal law enforcement. Attorney General Pam Bondi made the announcement earlier today.

Bakoush is labeled as a leading ‘facilitator’, essentially a ground planner of Ansar al Sharia during the attack that killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens, Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods and Glenn Doherty. He was charged in an eight-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court on multiple terrorism and murder counts. AG Pam Bondi made the announcement.

CTH followed the events closely, conducted a two-year research effort and then subsequently published the full story Benghazi Brief [SEE HERE]. Domestically, Barack Obama, Leon Panetta, Hillary Clinton, Mike Morrell and James Comey participated in the coverup.

DOJ PRESS RELEASE – The indictment charges Zubayar Al-Bakoush with:

•Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
•Providing Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
•Murder of an Internationally Protected Person
•Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States (Two Counts)
•Attempted Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States
•Arson and Placing Lives in Jeopardy Within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same
•Maliciously Destroying and Injuring Property and Placing Lives in Jeopardy within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same

The charges stem from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and nearby CIA Annex that killed Ambassador Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty.

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Going back to 2016, Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi formed a strong relationship based on mutual interests.  When the Hamas/Gaza war with Israel broke out, it was al-Sisi who was the key regional leader who -with full credibility from prior action against Islamic extremists- became the voice of stability that both sides of the crisis could respect.

Army General al-Sisi had the respect of the Egyptian people and during the Arab Spring it was al-Sisi who took control, dispatched the Muslim Brotherhood and restored lawful order to the country.  Following the ouster of Mohammed Morsi, al-Sisi won the election with 80% support, then destroyed the Hamas tunnels that were used by extremists to smuggle weapons into Gaza.  The Muslim Brotherhood and al-Qaeda elements then targeted al-Sisi and conducted numerous terrorist attacks in the Sinai.  Despite their efforts to destabilize Egypt, al-Sisi kept things under control.

President Sisi strongly influenced the other regional leaders to support President Trump as the one political leader who could bring forceful peace back to the situation in Gaza. During this bilateral session at the WEF, President Sisi thanks President Trump for his leadership and pledges full support to participate in the Gaza Board of Peace. WATCH:

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President Trump Special Emissary Steve Witkoff relays this official statement following meetings with U.S. Negotiators, Arab state partners, Turkey and Gaza officials about the next phase in the Israel-Gaza peace plan.

STEVE WITKOFF – “We, the representatives of the United States of America, the Arab Republic of Egypt, the State of Qatar, and the Republic of Türkiye, met yesterday in Miami to review the implementation of the first phase of the Gaza ceasefire and to advance preparations for the second phase.

The first phase has yielded progress, including expanded humanitarian assistance, the return of hostage bodies, partial force withdrawals, and a reduction in hostilities.

In our discussions regarding phase two, we emphasized enabling a governing body in Gaza under a unified Gazan authority to protect civilians and maintain public order.

We also discussed regional integration measures, including trade facilitation, infrastructure development, and cooperation on energy, water, and other shared resources, as essential to Gaza’s recovery, regional stability, and long-term prosperity.

In this context, we expressed our support for the near-term establishment and operationalization of the Board of Peace as a transitional administration for the civilian, security, and reconstruction tracks of the reconstruction. We reviewed next steps in the phased implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Plan for Gaza, underscoring the importance of sequencing, coordination, and effective monitoring in partnership with local Gazan institutions and international partners.

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After departing the celebratory festivities in Israel, President Donald Trump now travels to the other side of the conflict equation, a meeting with Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi, European leaders and Mideast stakeholders.

President Trump travels to Sharm El-Sheikh where French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, other European dignitaries and representatives from Qatar, Egypt, Turkey and Saudi Arabia have arrived for the signing of the first phases of the Gaza peace deal.

Co-chaired by President Trump and Egypt’s ¹President El-Sisi, this summit advances post-war reconstruction and regional stability.  While there are a host of international leaders expected to be present, each of the regional leaders in the Mideast have expressed their trust in only Donald Trump.  President Trump is the fulcrum for what comes next.

Various news networks are carrying different segments of the overall visit. The most useful livestream links are below.

UPDATE: Video Added

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President Donald Trump speaks to journalists aboard Air Force One as he heads to Israel and Egypt to participate in a historic ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. WATCH:

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With Egypt controlling the critical southern border with Gaza, and with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi playing a critical role in facilitating the peace agreement, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty appears on Face the Nation to discuss the first phase of the Gaza peace agreement.

As noted by Abdelatty, the regional coalition trusts the objectives and intentions of President Trump, and all the regional states are relying upon President Trump’s leadership to secure the future for Gaza and the Palestinian people. WATCH:

[Transcript] – MARGARET BRENNAN: We turn now to the Foreign Minister of Egypt, Dr. Badr Abdelatty, and he joins us this morning from Cairo. Welcome to Face The Nation.

EGYPTIAN FOREIGN MINISTER BADR ABDELATTY: Good to be with you, Margaret. Thank you so much for hosting me.

MARGARET BRENNAN: So President Trump is headed to Egypt. I know he will be meeting with President al-Sisi tomorrow in Sharm El-Sheik to discuss this agreement about Gaza. But everything seems dependent on this hostage release and the conclusion of phase one, from what you know and hear from Hamas, will those hostages be released in the next 24 hours?

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Vice President JD Vance appears on Face the Nation as part of his Sunday talk circuit.  The video and transcript of the discussion is below.

[Transcript] MARGARET BRENNAN: Good morning and welcome to Face The Nation. We begin today with Vice President JD Vance, who joins us from Cincinnati, this morning. Good morning to you, Mr. Vice President.

VICE PRESIDENT JD VANCE: Good morning, Margaret, thanks for having me.

MARGARET BRENNAN: We are getting very close to that 72 hour deadline for the hostage release. I think the world is holding its breath here. Is the administration seeing signs that Hamas and Israel are complying with everything they need to and that this will go ahead?

VICE PRESIDENT VANCE: Yes, Margaret, so knock on wood, but we feel very confident the hostages will be released, and that the President is actually traveling to the Middle East, likely this evening, in order to meet them and greet them in person. It’s a big day for their families, but I think more importantly, it’s a big day for the entire world.

The President of the United States said to his entire diplomatic team, especially Marco Rubio, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, to go and get a deal done, to stop the war in Gaza, to begin to rebuild Gaza so the population could live there in peace and prosperity, to actually eliminate the threat of terrorism to our friends in Israel- which is very, very important, and also to bring the hostages home alive. It was a very tall task. He pursued a very non traditional diplomacy with people who were not 40 year diplomats, but people who brought a fresh perspective to it. And of course, the President was criticized for it. The diplomatic team was criticized for it. But I think that because he chose a different pathway, he didn’t just do what everybody else in the past had done. We are now on the cusp of a sustainable peace in the Middle East. It’s a great moment.

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Last night on CNBC Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff hinted that some stunning revelations around expansion of the Abraham Peace Accords would likely surface in the next week.   Immediately thereafter, President Trump sent a message of support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, against a judicial effort targeting the Prime Minister.

Today, we start to hear of some rather stunning developments in the region that might explain multiple background stories, including the above and the severity of response from President Trump when he felt that Israel was overreacting to the Iran missile fired during the early hours of the ceasefire.

In a stunning development, Israel Hayom is reporting on the outlines of a peace agreement and long-term solution for the Israel-Gaza conflict.  The report might explain why President Trump made bold moves in Syria recently, including the removal of all U.S./western sanctions and the close relationship between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman (MbS).

According to Israel Hayom, there was a 4-way call (Trump, Netanyahu, Rubio, Dermer) after the Iran strikes. President Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to “fundamental principles in general terms” including:

♦ “Gaza hostilities will conclude within two weeks.” ♦ “Four Arab nations (including Egypt and the UAE) will administer the Gaza Strip, replacing the murderous Hamas terrorist organization.” ♦ “The remaining Hamas leadership will face exile to other countries (possibly Qatar and Turkey), while the hostages gain freedom.” ♦ “Multiple nations globally will accept numerous Gaza inhabitants seeking emigration.” ♦ “Abraham Accords expansion will bring Syria, Saudi Arabia, and additional Arab and Muslim countries to recognize Israel and establish official relationships.” ♦ “Israel will declare its willingness for future Palestinian conflict resolution under the ‘two states’ concept, contingent upon the Palestinian Authority reforms.” ♦ “The United States will acknowledge limited Israeli sovereignty implementation in Judea and Samaria.”

President Trump was reportedly angered by Israeli strikes after his Iran ceasefire announcement, because he feared further hostilities would derail this complicated deal.

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