Netanyahu’s joint war with the US began with talk of regime change in Tehran but may leave him with few strategic gains
When Donald Trump launched a pre-emptive war on Iran with Israel in February, many in the country hailed the campaign as the crowning triumph of Benjamin Netanyahu’s political and diplomatic career.
Three months on the regime is still in power in Tehran, Trump is chasing a deal that will reopen the strait of Hormuz to oil tankers, and the reported terms have provoked alarm, dismay and anger in Israel.
“Israel is completely beholden to the decisions of a capricious, hollow and desperate American president,” Nahum Barnea wrote in Yedioth Ahronoth, one of several commentators who condemned both the deal and the Israeli prime minister.
But who could have foreseen that a bombing campaign with literally no ground support would fail to topple a nation…?
“Preemptive” war is a stupid idea, but at least he did it incompetently. Would have been a lot worse for Iran and the US if Trump had the spine to actually commit to an actual invasion.