JERUSALEM — US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee dismissed recent threats by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that Iran could sink American vessels in the region. In an interview with Al-Monitor in Jerusalem, he said that the US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sites on June 22 were only a preview of US military might.
"Where I come from, we have a saying: There's no education in the second kick of a mule. If you get kicked once and you're stupid enough to go stand behind the mule the second time, you're probably not going to learn much from the second kick," Huckabee said.
Huckabee, who identifies as a Christian and a Zionist, has served as ambassador to the country since April 2025. A veteran politician, Baptist minister and former TV personality, Huckabee hosted a show on Fox News from 2008 to 2015 and on TBS from 2017 to 2025. He served as governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007.
Huckabee is a staunch supporter of Israel, having in the past advocated for sovereignty over the occupied West Bank, which he refers to by the biblical term Judea and Samaria. During his confirmation hearing, he said that although he has long supported annexation of the territory, "It would not be my prerogative to make that the policy of the president."
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