Bowen: Iran deal ends Trump's war that revealed limit of US dominance

Key Points:

• The war initiated by President Donald Trump and Israel against Iran has been a major foreign policy failure, weakening U.S. deterrence and damaging alliances with Gulf Arab monarchies, who are now considering diversifying allegiances and coexisting with Iran.
• A new memorandum of understanding has ended the conflict, reopening the strategic Strait of Hormuz, lifting the U.S. naval blockade, and extending the ceasefire, though it defers key issues like Iran’s nuclear program and sanctions relief to future talks.
• The war, sparked by surprise attacks including the killing of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, resulted in thousands of civilian deaths and destruction, but ultimately strengthened the Iranian regime and emboldened hardline leaders.
• Israel, fully involved in the war but excluded from the recent negotiations, views the agreement with dismay; Prime Minister Netanyahu faces political backlash and pressure from hardliners to continue military actions in Lebanon and other occupied territories.
• Despite the ceasefire, deep mistrust and ideological divides remain, making a comprehensive peace deal between the U.S. and Iran unlikely in the near term, while the Iranian regime continues to suppress domestic dissent brutally.