Steve Bannon warned on Tuesday’s WarRoom that hawkish calls for war with Iran are driven by recycled establishment thinking and political self-preservation—not strategic necessity. He defends President Trump’s disciplined, non-kinetic approach while tying recent Middle East tensions to deeper threats from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), asserting they are working in tandem with Iran to drag the U.S. into a trap.

Bannon’s latest remarks cut through the media noise and warmongering rhetoric like a blowtorch. In a sweeping critique of the establishment’s response to rising tensions in the Middle East, Bannon argues that President Trump is resisting the usual military-industrial complex playbook. While some in the mainstream press and on cable news pound the war drums, Trump is focused on strategic leverage, not knee-jerk retaliation.

Bannon opened his Tuesday segment by slamming the "infantile thinking” that led the U.S. into 20-year quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan—wars that cost trillions and left the country with enormous debt and few clear wins. He draws a parallel between that disastrous history and current media and political pressure for military escalation in Iran. Fox News, he says, is pushing a replay of the same narrative that led to "shock and awe” in 2003.

But this time, there’s a different commander-in-chief. Trump isn’t lounging on a beach chair, Bannon said. "He’s action, action, action”—but not the kind of action that satisfies Beltway insiders. Trump has been quietly repositioning military assets and creating diplomatic off-ramps while keeping the no-nuke policy toward Iran non-negotiable.

Bannon pointed to inconsistencies in intelligence leaks and reporting, suggesting that Americans haven’t been dealt with honestly. He questions whether Israel’s recent military moves are less about security and more about Prime Minister Netanyahu clinging to power amid domestic discontent. "This looks like a way for Netanyahu to save his prime ministership,” Bannon said, noting polling data showing he was politically cornered before launching recent strikes.

He acknowledges that Iran’s nuclear ambitions are serious, but says the timeline—12 to 13 months from weaponization—is no justification for immediate war. Trump, he insists, is navigating this carefully, giving himself diplomatic and military options without walking blindly into a regional disaster.

Then came the deeper cut: Bannon directly connected the chaos in the Middle East to the Chinese Communist Party. According to him and his guest, the CCP is not just watching—it’s working actively to draw the U.S. into another forever war. The goal? To stretch American resources, distract military attention away from Taiwan, and exploit the power vacuum such a conflict would create.

Bannon said he sees this pattern as a strategic maneuver to destroy America’s global standing. "We’re already in a war with the CCP,” he said, referring to it as a war of restricted, unconventional tactics—what he and others call "unrestricted warfare.” In his view, the Iranian and Chinese regimes are paper tigers propped up by fear, fraud, and manipulation. Now is the moment for both the Iranian and Chinese people to rise against dictatorships, he suggested, while the U.S. must stay focused and avoid being baited into distraction.

Bannon also leveled a serious charge: that the CCP interfered in the 2020 election to prevent Trump’s re-election.

During the segment, Ava,, from the New State of China, agreed and said the CCP’s five most feared enemies are Trump, Bannon, Navarro, Giuliani, and Guo Wengui—and all five have faced prosecution or legal attack since Biden took office. For Bannon, this isn’t a coincidence—it’s payback, quid pro quo for a stolen election.

Quick Clip:

NFSC Exposes CCP Election Interference: "If You Look At Any Country That Is Pro-CCP Or Pro-Russia You Will See The Same Playbook” @NFSCSpeak pic.twitter.com/o5DSsX3IO4

— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) June 17, 2025

Bannon is issuing a blunt warning: Don’t let recycled war propaganda and political power plays drag the U.S. into another catastrophe. President Trump’s restraint isn’t weakness—it’s strategy. Meanwhile, the real threat is bigger and bolder than Tehran. It’s Beijing. And they’re betting that America falls for the same trick twice.

For more context:

"This Looks Like A Way For Netanyahu To Save His Prime Ministership” Steve Bannon On Push For U.S. Kinetic Action In Iran

NFSC Exposes CCP Election Interference: "If You Look At Any Country That Is Pro-CCP Or Pro-Russia You Will See The Same Playbook”

Ava and Roy from the New Federation State of China discussed the Chinese Communist Party’s tactics and plans.