JD Vance on Lebanon:

Lebanon and Israel are talking to each other directly in a way that they weren't a few months ago. They both are sort of broadly aligned.

And you could even make an argument that if you harmonize the Lebanon–Israel peace deal with the agreement signed between the United States and Iran, what both of those documents fundamentally say is that Lebanon's territorial integrity will be respected.

So things have definitely changed. I think the question is whether that change is durable.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

JD Vance on Iran:

We want durable commitments that are verifiable and backed up by inspections that Iran will denuclearize their entire country.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

JD Vance on China and AI:

I'm not sure many Americans have a good understanding of how the Chinese actually think about AI.

I think there's a part of Xi's inner circle that probably just wants to dominate the AI arms race.

I actually think there is a part of Xi's inner circle that says, "We don't want to lose to the United States, but we don't want to win either."

They're, I think, a little freaked out by it, is what I'm saying.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

JD Vance on Iran:

One of the things I find just fascinating and frustrating about the Iranians is they'll say, "No, no, there aren't peace talks ongoing," but there are technical talks between the United States and Iran about the peace deal.

It's a Persian negotiating tactic and a Persian rhetorical device that I don't understand.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

JD Vance on Iran:

Trump is willing to drop bombs—but only if it serves an objective.

Source: The Michael Knowles Show

Iran's Ghalibaf:

We are selling our oil at a 20 percent premium.

If America wants to fight, we also know well how to fight.

If they intend to deprive us of selling our oil, no one will benefit from oil at all.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett:

Regarding Syria's Al-Sharaa, I would be extremely cautious.

I would not give him any benefit of the doubt because this guy is a murderer. He's a terrorist. He murdered many, many people.

I never say never about anything, but fundamentally my running assumption is that he's a terrorist wearing suits.

It's his burden to prove otherwise, and time will tell.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett on Syria's al-Sharaa:

Right now his military is weak, so he'll pretend to be really nice and peaceful.

Then he'll rearm himself, rebuild, gain strength, and fight another day.

The ideology that he harbored—and manifested in action, including recently—is very bad.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett on Türkiye:

Türkiye is complicated because I'm a big believer in Türkiye, but I think Erdogan is a disaster.

I think he harbors radical Islamist ideology and he hates Israel.

He essentially wants to wipe Israel off the earth—the State of Israel.

But I would navigate through that.

I would work where we can.

I would be open to anyone with goodwill, or even reasonable will.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett on Gaza:

My vision of Gaza is they govern their own lives. We have to retain overriding security control so they don't do that again.

But we dismantle Hamas, and they lead lives of dignity and freedom and prosperity, and we have our lives of security.

That's my vision. That's my endgame. And I have a sequence of how to reach it.

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright on Fox News:

Iran has not been cooperative at all yet.

The continued flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz is thanks to the US military.

Interviewer: Trump said that this money would only be allowed to be used to buy grain, and only from American farmers. How true was this?

Iran's Ghalibaf: Not accurate at all, really.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett:

I would just send very warm and positive vibes.

I would not entertain in my government any idiots that talk about really stupid statements that people like Ben Gvir and Smotrich say.

I wouldn't allow Ben Gvir into my government to begin with.

But if someone said something like that, I would call them to order. Netanyahu can no longer do that because he depends on them.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett:

I'm not a believer in long wars—the war in Gaza, and the whole war: Lebanon, Gaza, Iran. It just goes on and on. It's not Israel's doctrine.

If we have to pursue war, do it quickly, intensively, win, and move on to stabilize the region.

But when you drag it on for such a long time, it exhausts our economy, exhausts our reservists.

Former Israeli PM Naftali Bennett:

They had two options: to turn Gaza into a Singapore, but they chose the other option, which was to turn it into a terror state.

Now, for example, Monaco or Singapore—I believe are smaller than Gaza. I'm not sure about Singapore, but similar.

They could have, but they chose to use it as a terror base.

Iran's Ghalibaf:

There are disagreements even within the United States.

You can see that Marco Rubio is pursuing one approach, while JD Vance is pursuing another.

Netanyahu:

We entered Iran twice to save ourselves from destruction.

There will be a third time if necessary.

Netanyahu on Gaza:

"Voluntary emigration" from Gaza remains on the table.

Netanyahu on Türkiye:

Erdogan speaks about wanting to destroy Israel and take control of Jerusalem again.

I think he forgot that 400 years of Ottoman rule are over. Today there is a strong State of Israel.

He should calm down. We will not allow anyone to threaten our existence or our security, and I think we have shown what we are capable of.

Netanyahu:

Trump asked me, "How do you keep going? How do you endure this?"

I told him: "We have a people unlike any other. It's impossible to defeat us."

Netanyahu:

Israel is the nation-state of the Jewish people. No Palestinian state will be established here.

We will pursue an active security policy—we won't sit back and wait behind fences.