The United States and Israel appear to have reached diametrically opposed conclusions regarding the outcome of the still unsettled war in Iran.

The conflict erupted on February 28 when the U.S. and Israel jointly attacked Iran, targeting its leadership and military assets in daily air strikes. The war wound down on April 8 following a two-week ceasefire arranged by Pakistan. President Donald Trump unilaterally extended it on April 21 to provide Iran with sufficient time to submit a peace proposal.

Since then, the ceasefire has been repeatedly violated, with Iran and the United States having exchanged fire and Iran having fired missiles and drones at the United Arab Emirates, a U.S. ally. In addition, Iran has continued to block the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States has imposed a blockade on Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf.

Despite the current state of play, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on May 5 that the war has drawn to a close. “Operation Epic Fury is concluded. We achieved the objectives of that operation,” he claimed, keenly aware that the war has been unpopular domestically, led to much higher gasoline prices at home, and fractured Trump’s political base.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivered a far different message during an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes on May 10. As he put, “It’s not over because there’s still nuclear material, enriched uranium that has to be taken out of Iran. There are still proxies that Iran supports. There are ballistic missiles that they still want to produce.”

During this uncertain period, the United States and Iran have submitted duelling peace plans, none of which have been acceptable to either side.

The Trump administration has sent Iran a one-page memorandum calling for a formal end to the war and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Under the U.S. proposal, which has yet to be officially........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)