JERUSALEM, Israel – As the ceasefire between Israel, Iran, and the U.S. holds, attention is shifting from military operations back to diplomacy. However, questions remain about Tehran’s intentions, while Israel continues to confront threats along its northern border.
Despite conflicting claims over the damage done to Iran’s nuclear program, the U.S. and Iran are preparing to return to the negotiating table in Switzerland.
President Trump, speaking on the National Mall at the America’s 250 kickoff celebration, maintained that the U.S. military strikes forced Tehran back on a diplomatic course.
He declared, “And thanks to the power and skill of the United States Armed Forces, today Iran has no Navy, no Air Force, no anti-aircraft capacity, no missile launchers, no manufacturing, and their leadership has been obliterated. And for the first time in 3,000 years, we are finally going to have peace in the Middle East.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio sought to calm fears about the Strait of Hormuz as he traveled to Kuwait on Wednesday, part of a three-country Gulf tour to reassure allies in the region.
“I think the whole world will be against any mechanism that charges money to use an international waterway. It’s that simple,” Rubio noted.
Meanwhile, Israel’s Channel 14 reported comments attributed to Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Commander Ahmad Vahidi that offer a sharply different view.
He stated, “We brought President Trump to his knees. We got what we wanted.”
Vahidi added, “Our goal right now is to keep the Americans on a short leash. Any violation, no matter how small, will allow us to threaten the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.”
Speaking with CBN News’ Chris Mitchell, Saudi journalist Abdulaziz al-Khamis said many in the region believe that Iran emerged politically stronger.
“We believe in President Trump, and we think about him as a brave man when he did the decision. … But what we saw, the result, the job is not complete.”
When asked whether the perception in the Middle East is that Iran is winning, Abdulaziz replied, “Until now, yes…when they stay alive, it’s meaning (that) they win. They don’t care about the damage. They don’t care about how many people killed, how many bases destroyed. They win because they stay alive.”
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed his country’s position this week in an address to the JNS International Policy Summit, vowing, “As long as I am prime minister, Iran will not have nuclear weapons. And another thing: as long as I am prime minister, we will maintain the security zone in southern Lebanon.”
On Israel’s northern front, talks between Israel and Lebanon made little progress this week as disagreements continue over the proposed Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, Israel’s military reported that it had surrounded dozens of Hezbollah fighters inside an underground tunnel complex in Tebnit after sealing the entrances. According to an Israeli security source, the message delivered through the mediators was clear: surrender or be killed inside the underground system.
While diplomats prepare to meet again, events on the ground suggest that the struggle to contain Iran’s influence across the region is far from over.
