President Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a 90-minute discussion on Tuesday to strategize on ending the conflict with Iran. The leaders explored three primary paths, including a potential land-based trade blockade to isolate Tehran from global commerce.
The 'big three' strategies to force Tehran's hand
According to senior Israeli officials, President Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu focused on three specific lines of effort to end Iran's nuclear program and compel the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz . these options include securing a "good deal" through diplomacy, tightening the economic pressure on Tehran, and expanding the current military campaign.
The conversation was described by officials as "clinical," focusing on deliverables rather than abstract goals. While the White House stated that the Commander-in-Chief has "all options at his disposal," the report indicates that no final decision has been made on which of these three paths the United States will prioritize.
Cutting off land routes to isolate Iranian trade
A central proposal discussed during the meeting involves expanding the existing naval blockade to include all ground-based supply lines. As the report notes, the goal would be to ensure that not a single truck can enter or leave Iran, effectively isolating the Iranian regime from all global trade by land.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu inidcated that Israel would be willing to participate in such a blockade if requested by the United States. Furthermore, Israeli officials suggested that this level of economic deprivation has not yet been attempted and could be implemented without requiring American "boots on the ground."
Why Abbas Araghchi is viewed as the 'realist' path
On the diplomatic front, Israeli officials believe that Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi represents the most viable point of contact for negotiations. Despite his Islamist ideology, Araghchi is characterized as a "realist" who understands the dire needs of the Iranian state amid struggling economic conditions and existing US sanctions.
However, the report highlights a significant tension:while Araghchi may be a realist, the radical Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps continues to launch strikes on US forces. This suggests that any diplomatic opening provided by Araghchi may be undermined by the hardline military wing of the Iranian government.
The 'operational failures' hindering Iranian regime collapse
President Trump reportedly raised the possibility of creating conditions that could lead to the collapse of the Iranian regime, potentially allowing the Iranian people to overthrow their government. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes that previous attempts to empower the populace have failed.
The source points to a critical gap in the current strategy, noting that these conditions failed to materialize due to either "operational failure" or specific decisions that were made. The report does not specify what these failures were or which decisions blocked the path to regime change, leaving a significant void in the understanding of why previous covert or overt pressures failed to trigger a domestic uprising.
The gap in US understanding of Middle Eastern fanaticism
The current struggle to reach a favorable deal is attributed by a senior Israeli official to a "lack of understanding" within the United States regarding the level of fanaticism present in the Middle East. This perspective suggests that US policymakers may be overestimating the effectiveness of economic pressure alone.
This dynamic echoes a long-standing tension in US-Israeli security cooperation, where Israel often pushes for more aggressive military intervention while the US weighs the risks of regional escalation.. The official noted that diplomacy can only succeed if it is coupled with "very strong pressures," though the specific nature of those pressures remains unitemized in the reporting.
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