JERUSALEM, Israel – President Trump stepped in to prevent a dangerous new escalation between Israel and Iran after they exchanged missile strikes. Both sides are now holding fire. Yet, with Hezbollah still attacking from Lebanon and nuclear talks at a critical stage, tensions across the region remain.
“We’re very close to having a very, very good, strong, powerful deal,” the president declared on Tuesday.
As he left Game 3 of the N.B.A. basketball finals, Trump said the U.S. is nearing a deal, but instead of military force, he’s betting on economic pressure.
He asserted, “What has proven to be a very powerful thing is the blockade. The blockade turned out to be much stronger than bombing.”
In the Middle East, Israel and Iran have stepped back from all-out war after the president pressured both sides to give diplomacy another chance.
The crisis erupted Sunday night when Iran launched ballistic missiles at northern Israel, claiming the attack was retaliation for Israel’s expanding military campaign against Hezbollah.
Israel responded with strikes on air defense systems across Iran. Then, Trump intervened.
According to a report in Axios, Trump revealed, “I said, ‘Bibi, you better be careful, or you will be on your own very soon.'”
Sources say Trump also assured Netanyahu that talks with Iran may be nearing a breakthrough and that a broader deal could be within reach.
With Israeli warplanes ready and targets already selected, Israel then reportedly suspended additional strikes.
However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that Israel’s restraint should not be mistaken for weakness.
“At the moment, we are holding our fire, because after we struck the terror regime in Tehran, it ceased attacking us,” he said. “In the event that the terror regime in Iran makes the mistake of resuming attacks on us, we will respond with overwhelming force.”
Meanwhile, Iran blamed Washington for derailing diplomacy and warned the U.S. would bear responsibility for any further fighting.
“Whatever happens in our region … the United States bears direct responsibility, and the U.S. will also bear the consequences of escalating tensions,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esamil Baghaei.
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Yet, the crisis is also highlighting a growing difference in priorities between Washington and Jerusalem. Vice President JD Vance noted, “The Israelis and the United States, we have a lot of shared interests. And, but, we also have some situations where interests diverge.”
For the White House, according to the vice president, the primary goal remains the same.
He reiterated, “The United States’ main objective in Iran is to ensure that Iran does not have nuclear weapons.”
That potentially leaves the Iranian missile threat and the war with Hezbollah for Jerusalem to confront alone.
On Israel’s northern border, as fighting continues, reports indicate that many Israelis are urging Netanyahu to continue military operations until Hezbollah is fully removed.
That could complicate President Trump’s push for peace. Iran has repeatedly tied any long-term deal to ending the conflict with Hezbollah, making Lebanon a key piece of the larger diplomatic puzzle.
