ISRAEL HAYOM (by agreement with JNS)
The Iran talks are in danger of blowing up any day
Michael Oren
June 23, 2026

The Trump administration’s creation this week of a “cell to reduce friction” in Lebanon, comprised of Pakistan, Qatar, and Iran and totally ignoring Israel, has heightened Israeli anxiety over America’s Memorandum of Understanding with Tehran. That agreement grants the Islamic Republic billions of dollars to rebuild its ballistic missiles and resupply its terrorist proxies while doing little or nothing about its nuclear threat. Understandably, Israelis are asking what, if any, are chances that the agreement will fail. Not surprisingly, the most obvious cause for the agreement’s failure would be Lebanon. Trump has allowed Iranian leaders to use Lebanon as leverage against the United States by threatening to close the Strait of Hormuz unless he reins in Israel. As such, the Iranians have every interest in encouraging Hezbollah to violate the ceasefire, enabling them to demand further concessions from the president to keep the Strait open. But Trump could say “enough” and sever the Hormuz-Lebanon connection. READ MORE