Steve Bannon, former White House adviser and key architect of President Donald Trump’s MAGA agenda, is calling on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deport Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son and send him to fight on the front lines of the ongoing war with Iran, as the U.S. weighs a dramatic escalation of its own military involvement in the conflict, now in its fifth week.
Why It Matters
Bannon’s remarks underscore a deepening fracture within MAGA ranks over the prospect of U.S. ground troops entering Iranian territory. The U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran has already claimed 13 American service members’ lives and left at least 300 wounded. With thousands of Marines and Army paratroopers now deployed to the Middle East, the possibility of boots on the ground is no longer theoretical—and Bannon is using it to force a pointed question about who, exactly, should be doing the fighting.
It’s not the first time that question has been raised publicly since the war began. A website, DraftBarronTrump.com, was created on February 28—the same day U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran commenced—calling for Trump’s youngest son, Barron, 19, to enlist. The site employs a largely satirical tone and features fabricated quotes attributed to members of the Trump family.
What To Know
During an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Grapevine, Texas, on Saturday, Bannon delivered a fiery rebuke of what he characterized as the wealthy and powerful sending other people’s children to war.
He doubled down Monday on his War Room broadcast on Real America’s Voice, calling on Arab allies—the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar and Saudi Arabia—to commit their own forces to the fight, and specifically demanding that Netanyahu’s son, who reportedly resides in the United States, be deported and placed “in the first wave.”
Netanyahu has two sons—Yair, 34, and Avner, 31. Yair is known for his outspoken social media presence and reportedly spends significant time in Miami, making him the target of Bannon’s remarks. His younger brother, Avner, maintains a notably more private profile. Neither has served in an active military capacity during the current conflict.
The call for the children of the powerful to serve echoes the sentiment behind DraftBarronTrump.com, which describes itself as “dedicated to honoring the strongest and bravest voices in war” and claims Barron Trump has “inherited courage” and “unquestionable resolve.” Almost all men ages 18 to 25 living in the U.S. are required to register for Selective Service, though military service itself remains voluntary. A draft would require authorization from both the president and Congress; the U.S. has not had one since 1973.
On the broader military front, thousands of Marines aboard the USS Tripoli arrived in the Middle East on Friday, with additional forces en route from the West Coast. The Pentagon is also deploying paratroopers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division to the region. The Washington Post reported late Saturday that the Pentagon is preparing for weeks of potential ground operations inside Iran, led by U.S. Special Forces alongside infantry. Trump has said he is “not putting troops anywhere,” while also telling reporters he would not publicly disclose future ground operations if authorized.
Seizing Kharg Island—which accounts for roughly 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports—or key islands in the Strait of Hormuz would give U.S. forces leverage over Iran’s economy and its grip on a waterway through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas flows. Since strikes began in February, Iran has blocked tanker traffic through the strait, sending global energy prices surging and rattling financial markets.
What People Are Saying
Bannon: “Let’s have the Arabs. I want Arabs. I want a UAE, MBZ [Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE president], who’s the best they got over there. And he’s got a real army, it’s not huge, but they actually know how to fight. Kharg Island. There’s your objective. Go.
“And throw in a couple of Qatar princes. Throw the Saudi princes in there too. Get them out of London, get them out of the casinos and whorehouses in London. And get them back to the Gulf. Get him here, Netanyahu’s kid down in Miami—get him out tomorrow. Where’s DHS? We need him? Throw him out. Get him back there. Put a uniform on him. Let’s have him in the first wave.”
The description of DraftBarronTrump.com: “America is strong because its leaders are strong. President Trump proves that every day. Naturally, his son Barron is more than ready to defend the country his father so boldly commands. Service is honor. Strength is inherited. Dog Bless Barron.”
What Happens Next
No final decision on U.S. ground operations in Iran has been announced, but the deployment of amphibious and airborne forces signals the window for such a move is narrowing.
Iran, meanwhile, is issuing stark warnings. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, Iran’s parliament speaker, threatened Sunday to “set them on fire” and “punish their regional partners forever” should American troops set foot on Iranian soil. “Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased,” Qalibaf said.
Read the full article here
