The 15-Hour Fight With Iran Showed the Bind Israel Is In
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- The brief resumption of fighting between Israel and Iran on Sunday initially suggested Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could assert himself against President Trump, but the quick ceasefire on Monday highlighted Israel's dependence on Trump’s influence.
- President Trump’s intervention to halt airstrikes and Israel’s cancellation of further attacks demonstrated a failure to disrupt the ongoing peace talks between the U.S. and Iran.
- The recent conflict revealed to Israel that Iran, through its proxy Hezbollah in Lebanon, can attack Israeli civilians, and that Israeli retaliation risks escalating missile attacks from Iran, while U.S. pressure limits Israel’s military response.
- Experts note this represents a strategic shift, with Iran’s hard-line government emboldened by Trump’s reluctance to escalate to full-scale war, allowing Iran to take calculated risks in its regional confrontations.