The last day has seen not only words, but actual military actions. We will need to see in the ensuing days what this all really means, but there was much more than rhetoric (although plenty of that too).
On Tuesday morning, President Donald Trump said that the Strait of Hormuz is open and entirely controlled by the United States. Later in the day, a British ship was attacked by Iranian forces, so how controlled is it? Trump also said that "no talks with Iran are taking place, and none are planned.”
Iran, for its part, had its own bluster, as Ismail Kotheri, a member of the Iranian Security Committee in their Parliament, said that "the outlines of the new project for managing the Strait of Hormuz have been approved. Monitoring continues to complete the project." He referred to statements by President Trump, saying, "He lacks a backbone and makes baseless statements. It seems the blows he has taken led him to make them. If one were to count Trump's lies, the number would be very high. Even the American people have realized this."
Related: Rabbi Barclay's Weekend Iran Updates
Other comments from the U.S. were much more meaningful on Tuesday, as the United States is now, finally, taking on the International Criminal Court at The Hague. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has been repeatedly commenting for years about the problems with the ICC, said, "last month I launched a diplomatic campaign to dismantle this threat to our national sovereignty. The administration is imposing sanctions in our unwavering mission to protect Americans from this illegitimate court. In the name of our Declaration of Independence, Americans will never be taken overseas to be tried for fabricated offenses." As of Tuesday afternoon, the Treasury Department announced that the United States has now imposed new sanctions on the International Criminal Court in The Hague against the court's president, Japanese Judge Tomoko Akane, and against Senegalese Judge Abdoulaye Sèye.
On Tuesday night, Israel attacked Hezbollah targets in Syria, including the terror group's airports. This prompted Damascus to complain to the United Nations. We should always remember that the current leader of Syria was, until he led the coup against the former government, one of the 10 most wanted terrorists in the world, dead or alive. He was a terrorist his entire life, and even though he now wears a suit, we should remember that rarely does a tiger really change its stripes, nor a scorpion its nature. We must also remember that Turkey is actively attempting to control the region through Syria.
But more important than all this, we need to remember that we are in the weeks before Rosh Hashanah, and that "the King is in the field.” God is cognizant of how we treat each other.
May we all have the faith and courage to act in ways of righteousness, especially in the face of the rhetoric and actions that we are seeing domestically, in the Middle East, and around the world. Our individual actions affect the universe, and we should always be conscious of that eternal truth.
Chazak u'Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
August 19, 2026
6th of Elul, 5786
Editor's Note: Do you enjoy PJ Media's conservative reporting exposing the radical left and woke media? Support our work so we can keep bringing you the truth.
Join PJ Media VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member