Hours after the Trump administration announced a temporary ceasefire with Iran, Israel stepped up its attacks in Lebanon against Hezbollah. The move signaled what Brookings Institution vice president Suzanne Maloney calls a fundamental misalignment between what Washington and Tel Aviv want from this war - and from its aftermath.
"There's always been some misalignment between what President Trump wanted and needed from this war and what Prime Minister Netanyahu wanted and needed from this war," Maloney told Foreign Affairs. "And in that, it's wider than just the two men. It's actually the policy ecosystems in both capitals," "Hvylya" reports.
For Israel, the war was part of a larger effort to ensure the country "could never again experience the kind of traumatic surprise attack that occurred on October 7th." That determination extends across the political spectrum and carries a willingness to accept enormous costs. "Their response in the aftermath of the initial announcement of this temporary ceasefire was seemingly to step up their attacks in Lebanon against Hezbollah," Maloney said.
Trump's calculus is different. "What he needed from this war was at least the appearance of victory and what he needs to do is also be able to move on," Maloney said. The president has an upcoming visit from the king of England, a trip to Beijing to meet with Chairman Xi, and growing domestic frustration with rising fuel prices as the summer holiday season approaches. "This war could not become the overwhelming and dominant focus for the US military or for the US president," she said.
The two-week ceasefire window makes a comprehensive deal almost impossible. Maloney pointed out that the JCPOA - the 2015 Iran nuclear deal - took several years to negotiate and ran to 159 pages. The two sides' demands remain miles apart: Iran wants to formalize control of the Strait of Hormuz, receive compensation, and see U.S. bases leave the region, while Washington demands Iran surrender its proxies, ballistic missiles, and nuclear program. "The Iranians say they won't do anything of the kind," Maloney said.
The Israeli public may tolerate the outcome more readily than the American one, Maloney predicted. "There will be greater tolerance among the Israeli electorate for the attempts and for even the short-term benefits of an Iran that is somewhat degraded," she said. "That will not be true among the American electorate." Pushback is already building within pro-Trump circles over the war's costs and unclear returns.
Also read: why Gulf states began reassessing American military bases on their soil as the war shook trust in Washington.