Ben Caspit

Despite all his efforts, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu realized there is nothing he could do to prevent President Donald Trump from signing a deal with Iran.

With the fifth round of talks set to begin Tuesday, Israel is prepared to withdraw from at least one “pilot zone,” allowing the Lebanese army to take control of the area.

The US-Iran decision to launch direct talks between the IRGC and CENTCOM in Qatar deepens the rift between President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, while heightening Israeli fears that Washington is shifting toward Doha and Tehran.

The Lebanon agreement may be the lesser evil, but Netanyahu’s false claims, erratic monologue, and call for unity raise deeper questions about his fitness to lead.

While the deal with Lebanon allows the Israeli military to maintain a presence there, security experts warn that it also gives the weakened Hezbollah the time it needs to recover.

The immediate existential threat to Israel has been removed. For now, Israelis can breathe. But that is true only for this moment, not necessarily for the next one.

Israeli officials believe the US failure to attain the kind of agreement with Iran that it originally sought stems from the strategic mistakes made during and after the recent war.

Israel fears that Washington may be shifting its strategic options toward Turkey as the two rivals push for regional hegemony.

Despite Israel's military readiness to resume strikes on Iran, officials say looming elections make Netanyahu more likely to stay out unless Tehran forces his hand.

Israel is worried that the United States is centering the Strait of Hormuz, deprioritizing the threat of a nuclear Iran.