MOSCOW — Sources confirmed Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin spent much of the afternoon leaning over a large conference-room map of the Middle East, casually sliding miniature American aircraft carriers around like Risk pieces while deciding what the United States should do next in Iran.
Witnesses say the two leaders appeared relaxed as they repositioned tiny plastic replicas labeled “USS Something,” debating whether to move one carrier group closer to the Strait of Hormuz or simply park it somewhere dramatic for psychological effect.
“Hmm,” Netanyahu reportedly said while nudging a piece representing the USS Abraham Lincoln a few inches toward the Persian Gulf. “If we move this one here, the Americans can launch about 200 more aircraft sorties. What do you think?”
Putin allegedly studied the board for a moment before moving a destroyer two spaces to the left.
“Yes,” he replied. “But if we put the carrier here, it forces Iran to respond, which means the United States has to escalate again. Very elegant.”
The scene comes as the U.S. has deployed major naval forces to the region amid the escalating conflict with Iran, including multiple carrier strike groups and additional aircraft assets. The buildup is part of the largest American military deployment to the Middle East in years, following coordinated U.S.–Israeli strikes that helped ignite the current war.
According to insiders, President Trump occasionally calls into the session to ask how things are going.
“Great news, sir,” aides reportedly tell him. “Your allies are making excellent progress deciding where your Navy will go next.”
Sources say the meeting ended after Putin stacked three American carriers in the Mediterranean “just to see what would happen,” while Netanyahu suggested the U.S. military still had “plenty of pieces left to sacrifice before anyone has to consider diplomacy.”
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