BThe fight on X this hour is whether America is in the Middle East because of Israel.
BI saw it. Insurrection Barbie went hard.
BShe posted, if you think that, you're historically illiterate.
BThe 'historically illiterate' part is doing a lot of work.
BBut the history is correct. FDR met Saudi King Ibn Saud in 1945, before modern Israel existed.
BTrue. That meeting was about oil, not Israel.
BThe Navy was protecting Gulf oil lanes while Britain was still the main power.
BSo the 'only because of Israel' claim is flat wrong.
BThen why are you acting like the post is the problem?
BBecause the post picks the easiest version of the argument to knock down.
BThe easiest version is the one people actually make: America has no interest there except Israel.
BSome say that. Most serious critics say Israel is the main driver now, not the origin.
BBut that's a different argument. She can't argue every nuanced version.
BShe did. The phrase was 'anyone parroting it'.
BOh, come on. The top reply says 'Zionism is our enemy, not Islam.'
BI saw. It went from FDR to holy war in one reply.
BSo forgive her for being blunt.
BI forgive her. I just don't think FDR would recognize his oil meeting as a hashtag war.
BHe'd probably ask for the oil numbers back.
BThat's the part people miss: the older U.S. interest was oil and checking the Soviet Union.
BNow it's Iran, shipping, allies, and yes, Israel.
BNow it is. So the post is historically true and rhetorically smug.
BI'll take historically true over rhetorically perfect.
BGood. I hate agreeing with 'historically illiterate' and being right.
BSpeaking of current posture...
BMario Nawfal on X claims U.S. security alerts went out to eleven Middle East missions.
BImportant caveat: no U.S. official or embassy has confirmed that.
BIt ties the alerts to Iranian plots against U.S. officials and Houthi attacks.
BThat's a serious claim, and it is unconfirmed.
BSeparately, another post on X claims Vice President Vance said progress in Iran talks.
BAlso unconfirmed. Tehran reportedly says the ball is in Washington's court.
BAnd demands changes to the U.S. naval blockade.
BThat phrase usually means 'we're ready to deal' or 'we'll keep pushing.'
BUsually both. They want to look reasonable while testing the blockade.
BIf the alert claim is true, the U.S. is talking and bracing at once.
BWhich is what statecraft looks like.
BBut the alert part is still a claim, not a cable.
BThat's why I'm not hanging the segment on it.
BYou brought it up.
BI brought it up. There's a difference.
BEither way, the region is talking and arming at the same time.
BThat's the Middle East on a Monday.