Israel failed to achieve its goals, and the price is likely to be heavy

 https://www.israelhayom.com/2026/04/08/israel-failed-to-achieve-its-goals-and-the-price-is-likely-to-be-heavy/

The ceasefire left Israel without diplomatic gains and without a response to its main threats. The gap between military success and the actual outcome heightens the risk of further escalation. At the same time, criticism is mounting over the government's conduct and its impact on Israel's standing on the international stage.

The ceasefire in the fighting with Iran, for now for two weeks, leaves Israel in a problematic strategic position: It failed to achieve any of the war goals it had set for itself; it remains entangled in the war in Lebanon; and its international standing is at an unprecedented low point amid accusations that it dragged the US into a war with Iran. To that must be added the continuing damage to the Israeli economy, especially to the home front, and the severe crisis of trust between the government and the Israeli public, particularly in the north.

The IDF did achieve in the operation most of the operational objectives it had set for itself, but Netanyahu failed to translate those into a broader strategic result. Just as happened in the war in Gaza and in the previous war in Lebanon, Israel has found itself in an endless campaign, with the goals it set appearing either too ambitious or impossible to achieve. The regime in Iran did not collapse, as had been claimed it would; control over 440 kilograms of highly enriched uranium was not achieved; the missile array was only partially neutralized; and support for the proxies continued and even turned into an active regional campaign involving the Hezbollah terrorist organization, the Houthis and Shiite militia groups in Iraq.

Trump's threat to destroy 'a whole civilization' leaves a permanent stain on our history

US and Israel set out ambitious, vital war goals; as of the ceasefire, none have been achieved

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-and-israel-set-out-ambitious-vital-goals-as-of-the-ceasefire-none-have-been-achieved/

Fighting halts with the US president hailing what is only a tactical victory, and impossibly expecting a deal in two weeks to impose terms on the weakened but emboldened Iranian regime

Launching what was initially described as “a pre-emptive” campaign against Iran on February 28, the United States and Israel set out a series of highly ambitious and ultimately vital goals. When US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire and declared victory 39 days later, amid significant tactical success but inadequate strategic planning, none of them had been definitively achieved.

But, for now, the single most important war aim — ensuring that this regime can never get that weapon — remains unfulfilled. Iran’s nuclear “industrial base” has been further degraded, the regime retains its buried stockpile of highly enriched uranium. It may, if anything, be more inclined to attempt a breakout to the bomb, with a heightened determination to destroy Israel and to achieve broader invulnerability to future attack.

Similarly, while its ballistic missile capabilities, including all the necessary manufacturing elements, have been greatly degraded — Netanyahu and US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have both said Iran is not capable of building more missiles at present — the regime proved able to keep firing throughout the war, at Israel and Gulf neighbors, including at longer ranges and with diversely deadly warheads.

Trump’s semantic games about old and new regimes symbolize the biggest danger of this current, fateful moment. The fighting is at a fragile halt, with the Islamic Republic still oppressing its people and still seeking to destroy Israel, emboldened to have survived an assault led by the world’s mightiest military power, and with no binding agreements in place to ensure that it cannot reconstitute what it has lost.

And yet the US president is telling the world, and himself, that he is dealing with “reasonable” people — indeed that he has received “a 10-point proposal” from them, believes it to be “a workable basis on which to negotiate,” and expects that a two-week ceasefire period “will allow the agreement to be finalized and consummated.”

Netanyahu left with vague promises, no clear victories after another war ends without a decisive win

https://www.timesofisrael.com/netanyahu-left-with-vague-promises-no-clear-victories-after-another-war-ends-without-a-decisive-win/

Trump moves toward talks with Tehran that could send billions to regime and fuel its rearmament, as the PM appears unable to land a knockout blow against Israel’s foes in Gaza, Lebanon and Iran

And this, it seems, is how it may end.

Not with the dramatic death of Iran’s “whole civilization,” in the words of US President Donald Trump’s threat, but a two-week ceasefire with Iran that looks to leave the Islamic Republic in a position to survive and rebuild after nearly 40 days of war.

The Trump administration, of course, is saying that it won.

“Nothing is over yet,” said Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar. “I don’t see how it is possible to bridge the positions of the US and Iran.”

Government leaders have obvious reasons to sell the abrupt end to the fighting as a temporary measure, though the prospect of Trump bringing the US back into an unpopular war without a clear path to achieving his goals appears unlikely.

A pause, not an end: What the two-week ceasefire with Iran really means - opinion

https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-892375

 From Washington’s perspective, the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz constitutes a major strategic achievement. For Iran, the ceasefire offers temporary breathing room.

Many Israelis woke up this morning feeling frustrated. In the hours leading up to the expiration of the American ultimatum to Iran, expectations were high that the night might bring another decisive phase of the campaign – possibly including strikes against Iran’s critical energy infrastructure.

Tehran agreed to the key American demand: reopening the Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. In doing so, it effectively ended, at least for now, the global energy crisis that had begun to loom over international markets.

In return, Iran received a two-week ceasefire. Importantly, this arrangement includes no guarantees that the broader conflict is over. There is no withdrawal of forces, and the agreement does not include a halt to Israel’s ongoing campaign against Hezbollah.

The reopening of the Strait of Hormuz is therefore not merely a tactical development. It represents a test of whether Iran will abandon its use of global energy routes as instruments of coercion or whether the current pause is simply an intermission before the next phase of the conflict.

Trump Declares Premature Victory in Iran

 https://www.wsj.com/opinion/donald-trump-iran-cease-fire-strait-of-hormuz-4dd95294?mod=hp_opin_pos_1

Tehran is still a threat to the Strait and may retain enriched uranium.

Did the war with Iran that began with a roar end with a whimper? That’s the way it looks in the cold light of Wednesday after President Trump’s announcement late Tuesday of a two-week cease-fire. Mr. Trump achieved some of his war aims, but the Iranian regime remains a threat in the Strait of Hormuz and the job is far from finished, despite what he promised last week.

Did the war with Iran that began with a roar end with a whimper? That’s the way it looks in the cold light of Wednesday after President Trump’s announcement late Tuesday of a two-week cease-fire. Mr. Trump achieved some of his war aims, but the Iranian regime remains a threat in the Strait of Hormuz and the job is far from finished, despite what he promised last week.

From Khamenei’s death to the 'Islamabad Accords': Ceasefire leaves unanswered questions - editorial

 https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-892393

Former supreme leader Ali Khamenei is dead. Iran’s ballistic missile infrastructure has been set back to a degree Israeli defense planners would have called fantasy in 2024. But the regime survived.

The instinct right now is to focus on what went wrong. That instinct should be resisted long enough to reckon with what this campaign accomplished – but not so long that we mistake a successful military operation for a resolved strategic problem.

The balance sheet tilts in Israel’s favor. That is true. Iran’s ability to threaten this country has diminished over the years. But Netanyahu’s own words Wednesday night suggest the government understands this is unfinished: “There are more objectives to complete, and we will achieve them, either by agreement or by resuming fighting. Our finger is on the trigger.”

The war gave Israel an opening it has not had in a generation. Whether it amounts to anything lasting depends entirely on what comes next.

Iran outmaneuvers Trump; cuts deal that leaves U.S. worse off than pre-war

Trump claims Iran won’t enrich uranium, will give up uranium, while US lifts sanctions

 https://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-iran-wont-enrich-uranium-will-give-up-uranium-stockpile-us-lifting-sanctions/

No indication Tehran accepted such terms, as US president threatens tariffs, touts progress; Pentagon claims Iranian military decimated, despite ongoing missile, drone attacks

He notably appeared to make Washington’s 15-point plan for ending the war the basis of negotiations with Iran, even though his post announcing the ceasefire said Iran’s 10-point response would be the basis for talks.

Meanwhile, Iranian officials and state media published on Thursday what they said were the contents of the 10-point response on which the US had agreed to negotiate.

That 10-point plan notably included continued Iranian control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, an end to international sanctions on the country, and “acceptance” of uranium enrichment.These items would run contrary to Washington’s public statements about what it wants Iran to do.

Netanyahu says Iran’s enriched uranium will leave 'by agreement or renewed fighting'

 https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syqsawv2be#google_vignette

PM says Israel aligned with US on removing Iran’s remaining enriched uranium, casts temporary ceasefire as only waypoint in war and vows that Hezbollah would remain outside truce as Israel stays ready to resume combat at any moment

Netanyahu spoke after a temporary ceasefire took effect overnight in coordination with Israel, saying the pause was not the end of the war but “a station on the way” to achieving all of Israel’s objectives. 

Retired general: Trump ‘an absolutely terrible commander in chief’

 https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5819887-retired-general-steve-anderson-donald-trump-iran-threat-analysis/?tbref=hp

CNN’s Kate Bolduan asked Brig. Gen. Steve Anderson about his reaction to Trump’s heightened rhetoric. The president was doubling down on an earlier warning to Iran after giving them until 8 p.m. EDT on Tuesday to agree to a deal.

“Well, we already knew that Donald Trump was a pretty bad president, but now we know that he’s an absolutely terrible commander in chief as well,” he answered. “I mean, he continues to vacillate –– offers contradictory messaging about what’s going on and does he support the Iranian people? Does he not? Does he support regime change? Does he not? Are the allies with us? Does he need them? It goes on and on and on.”

“This guy is just not competent in terms of leading this force,” Anderson continued. “He has not set clear objectives, clear definable objectives, that the military can truly execute.”

Anderson predicted Trump will extend the deadline because Trump cannot do what he said he will do, “which is to bomb every single civilian target in the theater in Iran.”

Iran insists on uranium enrichment as Trump promises ban on enrichment

 https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/425199

While President Trump insists Iran will not be allowed to enrich uranium under the negotiated agreement, Iran's version of the plan includes an acknowledgement of its right to enrichment.

US President Donald Trump and the Iranian government have made opposing claims on the issue of Iran's enrichment of uranium under the plan at the center of the recent ceasefire agreement between the two nations.

Israel greets Iran ceasefire with more unease than relief

 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/08/israel-netanyahu-iran-ceasefire-00863490

Critics on the left and right say the truce leaves Israel’s core concerns unresolved, even as Trump hails a new opening for the region.

Trump’s Iran brinkmanship reaches truce, escalates backlash at home

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/04/08/trump-iran-threats-deal/

The president’s ultimatum drew condemnation across the political spectrum and intensified open debate about his credibility, morality and sanity.

“The President’s threat that ‘a whole civilization will die tonight’ cannot be excused away as an attempt to gain leverage in negotiations with Iran,” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) said in a statement on Tuesday. “This type of rhetoric is an affront to the ideals our nation has sought to uphold and promote around the world for nearly 250 years. It undermines our long-standing role as a global beacon of freedom and directly endangers Americans both abroad and at home.”

Iran’s government also portrayed the deal as a victory and is demanding a role in supervising passage through the Strait of Hormuz, which it did not have before the war.

“There is no military solution to the conflict right now,” Joe Kent, Trump’s counterterrorism adviser who resigned last month in protest of the war, said in an online video after the president’s announcement Tuesday night. “Every action that we’ve taken militarily has only strengthened the regime, and it’s done a lot to destabilize the entire region.”

Former congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia) called Trump’s threat “evil and madness.” Tucker Carlson, the former Fox News host who maintains a large following online, accused Trump of desecrating Sunday’s Easter holiday with a profane social media post and of being willing to commit “a moral crime.”