The announcement by US President Donald Trump that Washington intends to “low-key it” on the Iran issue has reignited debate over the White House’s changing policy toward the ayatollah regime.
Suleiman Maswadeh, a commentator for Channel 13 News, addressed the developments in a conversation on 103FM, warning that even the current statement does not necessarily indicate the direction the American president will choose going forward.
“I’ve stopped being worried or getting excited about Trump’s statements. Tomorrow it could be different, and the day after tomorrow he could change course again. Tomorrow he could declare war, and three days later announce a deal, and next week it could flip again,” Maswadeh said.
According to him, one of the considerations influencing Trump is the domestic political arena in the United States, particularly the midterm elections to be held in November. Maswadeh noted that from the outset it was clear that these elections would pose a significant political challenge for the president.
“From day one, we talked about how the midterm elections were problematic and troubling elections. The midterms are only in November. I think Trump is currently pleased with the economic siege imposed on Iran and the damage it is doing to their economy. I don’t know how pleased Israel will be with this, but when the Iranian people are hungry and reduced to living on bread alone, the Revolutionary Guards will grow stronger. Trump has chosen a side. I don’t want to say the side of the Arab states, but that’s the situation,” he said.
Maswadeh also pointed to what he described as a gap between the aspirations presented at the beginning of the negotiations and the current situation. “Look at the fiasco,” he said. “We were at the memorandum of understanding, which was supposed to be the path toward a comprehensive agreement. Now we’re talking about an agreement that is actually below the level of the memorandum of understanding, and it isn’t even between the United States and Iran. It’s between Oman and Iran - and even that still isn’t happening.”
Despite the relatively reassuring statements currently coming from Washington, Maswadeh believes the possibility of escalation remains on the table, mainly because of Trump’s unpredictable nature and provocative statements from Tehran.
“Trump could decide that his ego has been hurt so badly that he has to return to war. With him, anything is possible. The Iranians are really humiliating him. I feel like they’re practically begging Trump to attack them. Every day there’s another statement from another senior official saying, ‘We humiliated the United States, we achieved what we wanted.’ The reality is somewhat farther from what they portray. The Iranians are liars. Their economy has been hit very hard,” he said.
Israel in strong position in Gaza, despite Hamas rebuilding strength
Later in the conversation, Maswadeh turned to the Israeli arena and the situation in the Gaza Strip, against the backdrop of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s opposition to the 15-point plan for the future of the Strip. According to him, on the military front, Israel is currently in a strong position on the ground, even though Hamas has not yet been defeated.
“From a security standpoint, Israel’s situation in Gaza is very good. People will say that Hamas is still standing, and that’s true. In terms of territory, Israel controls almost 70% of the Gaza Strip. That is an enormous number. Huge percentages. This is the most densely populated area in the world, and that was before the IDF controlled 70% of the territory,” he said.
At the same time, he warned that Hamas is continuing a gradual process of rebuilding and strengthening. According to him, the smuggling network is not operating on the scale it once did, but the organization still retains significant ability to control everyday life in the Strip.
“As for the strengthening of the terrorist organization, that’s true. It is growing stronger little by little. The smuggling isn’t what it used to be, but little by little it is coming back. It controls the economy, what enters the Strip, the markets, and taxation. It still has the ability to exert control. In terms of weapons, it still has the weapons it has kept,” he said.
Rambam staff allegations tied to Likud primaries
Toward the end, Maswadeh also addressed allegations raised against members of the medical staff at Rambam Health Care Campus. In his view, the public attention surrounding the issue is largely connected to internal political struggles within Likud.
“We’re talking about this story for one reason only: there are Likud primaries. This time it is particularly blatant, and it is one of the most dangerous things you can do, especially when it comes from the defense minister. If there was any harm to IDF soldiers, they should investigate it. And if it happened, conclusions should be drawn.”