en English
Jun 16, 2026
Shlomo Ben-Ami
US President Donald Trump says that he "calls the shots" on negotiating with Iran, and Israel has no choice but to submit to a deal that undermines its security interests. But a deal that makes Trump the protector of Lebanon—and, by extension, Iran-backed Hezbollah—could put the US and Israel on a collision course.
TEL AVIV—The ceasefire that was reportedly just agreed between the United States and Iran reflects US President Donald Trump’s desperation to escape the quagmire that he created. Gone is the muddled array of objectives he touted in the war’s early days. All the Trump administration has reportedly secured in the new agreement is a promise to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before the war, and plans for new negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program, which was already under discussion. But even these pared-down goals might prove unattainable if Israel continues its fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
