The regime in Iran has not changed and the nuclear and missile threats have not been eliminated, leaving many Israelis to wonder what this was all for.
President Trump is trying to choke off the country’s lifeline with a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. But the Iranians are betting that his tolerance for political pain is limited.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer said the U.K.’s diplomatic efforts are directed at keeping the vital waterway “open, not shut.”
President Trump’s announcement of a U.S. blockade was his latest effort to pressure Iran to negotiate after direct talks over the weekend did not yield an agreement.
Vice President JD Vance led the highest-level talks between the United States and Iran in nearly 50 years.
The goal of the naval operation ordered by President Trump is to deny Iran the revenues it needs to fund its military, but there are many unknowns.
Iran denied that the American destroyers had entered the strait, as negotiations for an extended cease-fire continued in Islamabad.
Iranian officials said that while Iran had approached the negotiations in good faith, the U.S. team had not gained the Iranian delegation’s trust.
Satellite imagery shows impact craters at and near the tunnel entrances to aircraft shelters at Iran’s remote “Eagle 44” base.
Israel’s campaign targeting Hezbollah in Lebanon has been a source of tension in the U.S.-Iran cease-fire. Israeli and Lebanese officials plan to meet for rare talks in Washington this week.