Arab alliances are shifting | Dalia Ziada

Arab alliances are shifting | Dalia Ziada

A week after Washington and Tehran signed an interim agreement, confusion continues over its implementation, with Iranian officials and the International Atomic Energy Agency offering conflicting accounts of when UN nuclear inspectors will be allowed back into the country. Meanwhile, concern Israel is being left out of plans for Southern Lebanon with Qatar and Iran all having a say in a future ‘deconfliction mechanism’. The Trump administration is pushing for a vetted Lebanese Army to gradually take control of parts of the country currently held by the IDF. Israel’s ambassador to Washington warns the talks risk becoming a “train wreck” if Iran’s influence is not addressed. Iran’s foreign minister has held talks with a senior Hamas official following the agreement, while Morocco has become the first Arab country to deploy personnel to the U.S.-backed international stabilization force being assembled for Gaza. Today’s guest is Dalia Ziada, Middle East scholar and Senior Fellow at ISGAP, who argues that the agreement between Washington and Tehran is less a breakthrough than a “memorandum of misunderstanding” that risks alarming America’s Gulf allies while leaving the region’s biggest security challenges unresolved. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sign up to receive Israel in 10 daily: https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up [https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up] Sponsorship inquiries: MisgavDailyBrief@gmail.com

From Tucker to Mamdani, American Jews are being squeezed | William Daroff

A fragile U.S.-Iran agreement is facing fresh scrutiny after Iranian officials deny UN Nuclear inspectors are due to visit the country. President Trump is waiving sanctions for 60 days and potentially unlocking billions of dollars for the regime. Secretary of State Marco Rubio heads to the Gulf amid questions over Washington’s strategy and growing American scepticism about whether the deal can curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions or regional threats. Meanwhile, Israel and Lebanon are holding another round of talks in Washington, but concerns are mounting over the future of Israel’s operations in the north. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warns that Hezbollah is openly regrouping and rearming while restrictions on the IDF’s freedom of action are putting Israeli soldiers’ lives at risk. And fears that the emerging agreement with Iran could leave Israel in a weaker strategic position have rattled local markets. The shekel has fallen more than three per cent against the dollar over the past month, while shares in the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange have dropped around 20 per cent. Today’s guest is William Daroff, CEO of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. He warns that American Jews are feeling the squeeze from rising antisemitism on both the right and the left, yet remains hopeful that a more peaceful Middle East could eventually reduce the obsessive focus on Jews. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sign up to receive Israel in 10 daily: https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up [https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up] Sponsorship inquiries: MisgavDailyBrief@gmail.com

The region is more dangerous than 3 months ago | Aditya Raj Kaul

Iran has begun exporting millions of barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz as an interim agreement with the United States comes into force, with mediators Qatar and Pakistan claiming that Washington and Tehran have agreed on a framework for talks aimed at reaching a permanent deal within 60 days. But Iranian state media says the country’s nuclear programme was not even discussed during the marathon negotiations, raising fresh doubts about the durability of the agreement. Meanwhile, Israel and the United States appear to have reached an understanding that the IDF will remain in southern Lebanon for the foreseeable future, although Israel may face new restrictions on its military operations and closer coordination with CENTCOM. Jerusalem is also considering handing over a major Hezbollah tunnel and military complex to the Lebanese army as a test of Beirut’s willingness to confront the Iranian-backed group. Elsewhere, a major explosion at Qatar’s flagship Ras Laffan LNG hub has left dozens injured and several people missing. And the first British Prime Minister to recognise a State of Palestine has resigned. Sir Keir Starmer’s premiership was beset by low approval ratings and u-turns. He also clashed with the Jewish community over his failure to get to grips with soaring antisemitism. Today’s guest is Aditya Raj Kaul, Senior Executive Editor at NDTV. He argues that the Trump administration has abandoned many of its original objectives in its rush to end the war and warns that, despite the ceasefire, the Middle East is now more dangerous than it was three months ago. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sign up to receive Israel in 10 daily: https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up [https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up] Sponsorship inquiries: MisgavDailyBrief@gmail.com

This deal won’t last 60 days | Kobi Michael

The future of the new U.S.-Iran agreement is already in doubt after Vice President JD Vance cancelled planned talks with Iranian officials in Switzerland, raising fresh questions about whether the fragile 60-day ceasefire can hold. Four Israeli soldiers were killed in one of Hezbollah’s deadliest attacks in months when an apparent drone or anti-tank missile struck their tank in southern Lebanon. France has called on the United States to pressure Israel to halt its military operations, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu resists American pressure to withdraw troops from southern Lebanon. At the same time, Reuters reports that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have established secret new cells in Iraq to launch attacks on Gulf states hosting American forces, suggesting Tehran is adapting its regional strategy as many of its traditional proxy groups have been weakened. And despite war and regional uncertainty, Tel Aviv has once again been ranked the world’s fourth most valuable startup ecosystem, with Israel’s high-tech sector continuing to drive economic growth and attract investment. Today’s guest is Professor Kobi Michael, Senior Fellow at the Misgav Institute, who discusses the growing strains in the U.S.-Israel relationship and the likelihood of the US and Iran reaching a permanent agreement. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sign up to receive Israel in 10 daily: https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up [https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up] Sponsorship inquiries: MisgavDailyBrief@gmail.com

Qatar’s hidden hand | Ruth Wasserman Lande

The memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran has now been signed, the Strait of Hormuz has reopened and oil prices have fallen, raising hopes that one of the biggest supply shocks in modern history may be coming to an end. But Israel and the United States are locked in what have been described as “stubborn talks” over Israel’s presence in southern Lebanon after another IDF soldier was killed by a Hezbollah explosive device. Tehran and Hezbollah accuse Israel of violating the ceasefire arrangements. Meanwhile, a new rift is emerging between Washington and its regional partners. The Trump administration revealed how it stripped Oman of its role as mediator with Iran, accusing Muscat of acting in a “two-faced” manner, while Gulf states are reportedly seeking to reduce their dependence on American security guarantees and explore alternative defence partnerships. Today’s guest is Ruth Wasserman Lande, Former MK and Senior Fellow at the Misgav Institute, who argues such a terrible agreement can only be a ruse or, more worryingly, the result of Qatar’s undue influence on the Trump administration. _____________________________________________________________________________________ Sign up to receive Israel in 10 daily: https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up [https://izs.activetrail.biz/Israel-in-10-Sign-Up] Sponsorship inquiries: MisgavDailyBrief@gmail.com