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  When Haaretz published Vera Weidenbach’ s analysis — “ How Trump’s Anti-Diplomacy Bent Shocked Europe Into Paralysis on Iran ” — it was not merely commentary on another Middle Eastern escalation. It was an obituary for a certain idea of Europe : the Europe that believed diplomacy, law and multilateralism could restrain raw power . Now that illusion lies in ruins. A War That Bypassed Europe The joint U.S.–Israeli strikes on Iran — ordered by and coordinated with — did more than hit military and nuclear targets . They struck at Europe’s self-image . For years, European capitals positioned themselves as mediators . They believed they could keep channels open with Tehran, preserve nuclear oversight mechanisms, and prevent a slide toward regional war. But when Washington chose force over negotiation , Europe wasn’t consulted — it was informed . The message was unmistakable: This is no longer your table. Germany’s Delicate Dilemma Nowhere is the paralysis more visible...

Missile sirens interrupt the writing. Shelters interrupt the sentences. History interrupts itself. On March 2, 2026, former Mossad official and security analyst offered what may become one of the most sobering assessments of this new and dangerous chapter in Middle Eastern warfare. What he described was not merely a military escalation. It was a collision of miscalculations—strategic, moral, and political. And perhaps, a war that nobody fully understands. The Illusion of Negotiation Just days before the bombs fell, there was still talk of diplomacy between Washington and Tehran. Even Alpher believed a US-Iran nuclear deal was more likely than war. He was wrong. Why? Because the perceptual gulf between Iran and the US-Israel axis was wider than anyone imagined. Iranian leaders—from Supreme Leader downward—reportedly gathered without serious precaution. The result: an opening strike that decapitated the regime’s top tier. Was this overconfidence? A misreading of President ’s...

  If you enjoy glossy self-congratulation with your morning coffee, then Bret Stephens ’s latest ode to the “historic courage” of Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu is a must-read. In Stephens’s world, there’s something noble — nay, heroic — about a war that just so happened to result in the assassination of Iran’s Supreme Leader, stoke regional fury, and trigger an open-ended U.S.–Israel military campaign. If you squint just right, there’s even jubilation on the streets of Iran — or at least that’s what the Wall Street Journal told him to believe. Stephens trots out the old interventionist playbook: villains defeated, freedom advanced, dictators trembling. Never mind that this war was launched without congressional authorization and in tension with international legal norms. Critics like the American Civil Liberties Union have called it unconstitutional; scholars like Kenneth Roth have labeled it illegal aggression. But dismiss such concerns — after all, the smoke of bo...

  In his March 2, 2026 column, once again urges readers to “hold multiple thoughts at the same time” when thinking about war with Iran. The Middle East, he writes, is a kaleidoscope — fluid, unpredictable, layered with contradictions. But after reading both his column and the top recommended of reader responses, one thing becomes clear: while Friedman is juggling strategic possibilities, much of the public is asking a far more basic question — Who benefits from this war? The Regime-Change Temptation Friedman openly hopes for the fall of Iran’s clerical regime. He imagines a liberated Iran reshaping the region, perhaps even paving the way for normalization between Israel and Gulf states — provided that does not annex the West Bank. Yet here lies the first contradiction. Friedman has repeatedly warned that Netanyahu is undermining Israeli democracy — crippling the Supreme Court, pushing annexation, manipulating Washington. He has accused Netanyahu of effectively “spitting in...

 Haaretz published this Security Analysis (March 1, 2026) arguing that the Gulf states’ long-standing strategy of containing Iran without triggering open war has effectively collapsed due to Iran’s direct missile and drone attacks across the Gulf . Below is a structured summary of the article’s key arguments and the broader context: --- 1️⃣ The Old Gulf Strategy: Contain, Don’t Confront For years, Gulf states — especially Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman — followed a careful formula: Rely on the U.S. as security guarantor Avoid direct war with Iran Build missile defense systems (Patriot, THAAD) Normalize ties with Israel (e.g., Abraham Accords) Maintain economic growth and stability Even after the 2025 “12-day war,” Gulf governments publicly condemned escalation while quietly preferring a weakened but intact Iran over regime collapse . The assumption was: > Iran could be managed through deterrence, diplomacy, and proxy containment — without full-scale regional ...

  On February 23, 2026, asked a question that now echoes across every capital from Washington to Tehran: Iran: War or Deal? Just days ago, that question sounded theoretical. Today, it feels terrifyingly real. Missile alerts. Naval buildups. Diplomatic whispers. Strategic leaks. Social media hysteria. The region is once again standing on a knife’s edge. But beneath the noise lies something deeper — something more dangerous than missiles. Hubris . The Theater of Strength Alpher described President ’s approach as a kind of geopolitical “ Godfather strategy ” — overwhelming force as negotiation. An offer Iran “can’t refuse.” Aircraft carriers deployed. Bombers positioned. War rhetoric amplified. All part of a pressure campaign. But history in this region teaches a brutal lesson: Displays of strength often produce displays of defiance. Iran is not a fragile regime improvising survival. It is an institutionalized revolutionary state that has survived four decades of sanct...

  On Feb. 28, 2026, The Editorial Board of NYTimes  warned that President Trump’s latest strike on Iran was reckless, unconstitutional, and strategically undefined. The board expressed concern for “the many innocent Iranians who have long suffered.” Eleven days earlier, on Feb. 17, 2026, wrote something even more explosive: “ Israel’s far-right government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is spitting in America’s face and telling us it’s raining. It’s not raining. Bibi is playing both President Trump and American Jews for fools.” Friedman was not questioning Israel’s right to defend itself. He was questioning whether American power was being drawn into a strategy shaped less by U.S. national interest and more by Israel’s domestic political calculus. That distinction matters. Iran as the Permanent External Threat For over four decades, Iran has been under American sanctions. Since 1979, layers of financial, oil, trade, and banking restrictions have been impo...