“Go Sit in Cafes”: Iran Expert Benny Sabti Urges Israelis to Defy Iranian Psychological Warfare
As the Wall Street Journal reports a massive U.S. military buildup and potential strikes on nuclear sites like Natanz and Fordow, Sabti argues that Israeli "joy" is a powerful weapon against a regime blinded by hubris.
Amidst heightened regional tensions and a looming 10-day ultimatum from the Trump administration, Benny Sabti, a prominent expert on Iranian affairs, is offering a message of calm and defiance to the Israeli public.
In an interview with Radio 103fm on Thursday, Sabti argued that the best defense against the Islamic Republic’s current posturing is for Israelis to maintain their daily routines.
"Don't stop your lives," Sabti said. "As long as there is no explicit instruction from the military or the state, go and enjoy what you can, sit in the cafes. It is very grating to the Iranian regime when Jews are happy; it is a good weapon against them."
Sabti’s assessment of the current nuclear negotiations in Geneva paints a picture of a regime blinded by its own rhetoric. Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s reported demands for the dismantling of key nuclear sites at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan, Sabti believes Tehran is failing to grasp the severity of the situation.
Sabti noted that while logic dictates Iran should "flex even a little" to meet Trump halfway, the leadership is currently stuck in a cycle of "hubris and arrogance."
According to Sabti, the regime has convinced itself that it has already defeated two superpowers (the U.S. and Israel), a narrative he claims is entirely detached from the reality felt by the Iranian public.
The expert warned that this internal delusion is pushing the region toward a kinetic confrontation. With the Wall Street Journal reporting that the U.S. is positioning massive naval and air assets in the Gulf, Sabti suggests the window for diplomacy is closing due to Iranian stubbornness.
"The Iranian regime will lead Trump to decide that this is it, he must show them in a certain way," Sabti concluded. "Will there be a major attack? That is now between Trump's ears, but the Iranians are simply running toward the edge of the abyss."