Weeks-long exchanges between Iran and Israel have become the most intense in
recent weeks, underscoring President Trump’s difficulty in ending regional
hostilities. Former Israeli consul-general in New York Pinkas said Iran is
trying to drive a wedge between Washington and Jerusalem. Benjamin Rad, senior
fellow at UCLA’s Burkle Center, said Iran has tied Hezbollah’s fate to its own
negotiating interests, forcing Israel’s red lines into conflict with Trump’s
de-escalation stance—an opening Iran seeks to exploit. CNN senior political
analyst Ron Brownstein said the developments undercut Trump’s claim to control
the conflict’s trajectory, noting both Israel and Iran are acting in their own
interests and US influence appear limited.
