The U.S. has never held this much leverage over Iran — enrichment sites destroyed, missile programs crippled, proxy networks dismantled and an economy in freefall. This is the moment to demand full dismantlement of Iran's nuclear pathways, not a weak managed freeze. Squandering this advantage would be a historic mistake.

Trump says he seeks a negotiated end to the war, yet his actions suggest the opposite. Truth Social posts and overnight strikes on Iranian targets undermine the trust required for a lasting ceasefire. Peace demands restraint, diplomacy and confidence-building measures. Instead, escalating rhetoric and military force push the region closer to renewed conflict, where strategy without wisdom risks catastrophe rather than stability.

Hopes for a peace agreement appeared close to completion before new Israeli demands shifted negotiations off course. The revised conditions — allowing continued attacks in Lebanon, immediate uranium removal and expanded normalization agreements without addressing Palestinian statehood — were designed to fail. Renewed strikes in Lebanon signal that diplomacy is being deliberately undermined to keep the conflict alive.