Bannon demands DHS send Netanyahu’s son Yair back from Miami to Israel to fight Iran war

WASHINGTON, DC: Steve Bannon is calling for a reshuffle before any boots hit Iranian soil. He wants to start with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s own family.

The former Trump strategist took a flamethrower to the idea of the US leading a ground invasion of Iran while others sit comfortably on the sidelines. His first target was Netanyahu’s 34-year-old son, Yair Netanyahu, who has reportedly been spending long stretches outside Israel since the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.

According to Ynet News, Yair was in Miami with his mother, Sara Netanyahu, as recently as February.

“Netanyahu’s kid down in Miami, turf him out tomorrow," Bannon said on his 'War Room' podcast. "Where’s DHS when we need them? Throw him out. Get him back there. Put a uniform on him. Let’s have him in the first wave,” he said, invoking the Department of Homeland Security.

The comments surfaced online on Monday, March 30, just as Israel’s Channel 12 reported that the nation would not commit troops to Iran even if the US launches a ground invasion.

Israel has long been seen as pushing Washington toward confrontation with Tehran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio even suggested the US strike because Israel was poised to act anyway, potentially putting American troops at risk.

Gulf elites also in the crosshairs

Bannon didn’t stop with Israel. He widened the net to include Gulf Arab states, some of which opposed a US strike on Iran but have since found themselves caught in the fallout.

Countries like Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar reportedly lobbied President Donald Trump against attacking Iran. But after Tehran retaliated with waves of missile and drone strikes, some have shifted to quietly support the US offensive, which began on 28 February.

There’s already been movement behind the scenes. Saudi Arabia opened King Fahd Air Base to US forces, while the UAE has publicly pushed for a tougher response after Iran effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz. The UAE’s ambassador in Washington, Yousef al-Otaiba, recently dismissed “a simple ceasefire” with Iran.

Bannon suggested that if they want a war, they can fight it.

“Let’s have the Arabs. I want Arabs,” he said. “I want UAE…MBZ, 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!” Bannon added, referring to UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed.

“And throw in a couple of Qatar princes. Throw in the Saudi princes in there, too. Get them out of London. Get them out of the casinos and whore houses in London,” the former White House chief strategist said. "And get them back to the Gulf."

A familiar stance for Steve Bannon

A key architect of Trump’s 2016 campaign and later his chief strategist before exiting in 2017, Bannon has consistently railed against US involvement in foreign wars even while defending Trump’s agenda.

He’s also been an equal-opportunity critic when it comes to America’s allies, accusing them of taking advantage of US military power.

"The Israelis are playing games with us. The Arabs are playing games with us. The Europeans are playing games with us. And what are we doing? We're sending troops over there, which is fine. President Trump needs options and alternatives to negotiate around the military Operation Victory,” Bannon said earlier this month. “I want Arabs at the front, the first wave at Kharg Island, send UAE."

He previously lobbied against a US strike on Iran in June and has often described Israel as a US “protectorate,” even as he stops short of directly condemning Trump’s decision to attack.

At the same time, Bannon has argued that Israel’s ongoing bombing campaign clashes with Trump’s stated goal of dismantling Iran’s regime without breaking the country apart.