【A Post-Breakup Settlement After a Failed Marriage?】 After the U.S. and Iran reached a preliminary peace agreement, one key factor determining whether this deal moves from paper to reality is undoubtedly Israel.
This memorandum hardly achieves any of Israel’s war objectives—such as toppling the Iranian regime—and in fact puts Israel in an even worse position than before.
The agreement fails to address Iran’s ballistic missile program or its proxy armed forces. Even Trump defended Iran, saying, “If others have it, why shouldn’t Iran?”
More critically, it restricts Israeli military operations in Lebanon and even demands the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Lebanon.
In the future, Iran may gain hundreds of billions of dollars through lifted sanctions, frozen asset releases, or reconstruction aid.
Israel’s anxieties have surged sharply—this money could ultimately be used to develop more missiles and further support proxy militias like the "slipper army."
The nuclear program remains pending for future U.S.-Iran negotiations...
As a result, some within Israel view this memorandum as a "diplomatic version of October 7"—the date of Hamas's 2023 surprise attack on Israel—implying a major disaster that Israel was completely unprepared for.
Some calmer voices have begun reflecting: Was Netanyahu’s so-called "victory narrative" at the start of the war overly exaggerated and detached from reality?
Netanyahu repeatedly claimed that the U.S. and Israel were "transforming the Middle East," with the situation shifting in Israel’s favor.
Yet the outcome has turned into “making Iran great again,” and Iran may now emerge as the new regional hegemon.
Even more nerve-wracking is the relationship between the U.S. and Israel—specifically, the dynamic between Trump and Israel—and the true nature of Trump’s support for Israel. The costs and benefits of tying Israel’s fate to Trump personally are now being reassessed.
Doesn’t this resemble a post-divorce reckoning? Trump, cold and ruthless, leaves behind chaos and wreckage…
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862162829730816/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author