Opinion · Guest Post
The U.S.-Iran Deal: Glass Half-Full?
The silver lining of a bad deal — and why Israel must capitalize on the New Middle East.
Eli Herskowitz
· June 22, 2026
The imminent nuclear agreement between the United States and Iran is, by almost any objective Israeli metric, a deeply flawed piece of diplomacy. To many in Jerusalem, it feels like history repeating itself — a shortsighted concession that offers Tehran sanctions relief without permanently dismantling its nuclear ambitions.
Yet, beneath the justified apprehension lies an unexpected, golden opportunity. For years, Israel’s geopolitical posture has been tightly bound to Washington’s regional policy, a dynamic that has occasionally made us look less like an independent superpower and more like a sponsored state caught in a tight American embrace.
This new deal, as flawed as it is, offers Israel a strategic reset: a chance to break free from Trump’s “bear hug” and chart a fiercely independent, proactive path forward.
If we look past the current frustration, the broader strategic landscape reveals that Iran and its proxies are operating from a position of systemic, long-term weakness. Israel is not entering this new era on its heels; we are entering it from a position of unprecedented tactical advantage.
The Illusion of Iranian Strength
While critics fear the deal will revitalize Iran, a closer look at Tehran’s internal ledger suggests otherwise. The Iranian economy is fundamentally broken, suffocating under spiraling hyperinflation and structural rot. The regime faces an estimated $300 billion bill just to rebuild and reinvest in basic infrastructure. A temporary influx of cash from a diplomatic deal cannot cure a terminal systemic illness.
Furthermore, Tehran is sitting on a domestic powder keg. The timeline between mass anti-regime protests in Iran has shrunk dramatically — from once every five years to once every two. The societal friction is intensifying, and it is a mathematical certainty that the Iranian public will take to the streets again soon. The regime will be forced to look inward, consumed by its own survival, leaving them far less bandwidth to project power abroad.
Even their most potent geopolitical leverage has been spent. For decades, Iran used the threat of shutting down the Strait of Hormuz as a diplomatic sword of Damocles. But the Strait is a one-bullet gun, and Iran has already pulled the trigger. By weaponizing this vital maritime artery, Tehran forced the global community to adapt. The world now understands the mechanics of this choke point and is actively accelerating alternatives — from new pipelines to entirely bypassing the route. The process of rendering the Strait of Hormuz economically irrelevant has already begun. Iran’s ultimate bargaining chip is losing its value by the day.
A Cleared Horizon
Closer to home, Israel’s security environment has fundamentally shifted. The terror threats posed on our borders have been severely degraded, if not entirely diminished. The rings of fire once meant to hem Israel in are fractured. While groups like Hezbollah or Hamas will inevitably try to rearm and reconstitute themselves, it will take them years to do so. Crucially, the paradigm has changed: Israel’s intelligence apparatus now maintains an unblinking eye on these borders, with a level of surveillance and operational readiness far superior to anything we possessed in the past.
This operational breathing room gives Israel the luxury of time and focus. We are no longer putting out fires on our borders; we can now build the architecture of the future.
Low Hanging Fruit: The Price of American Compliance
If the Trump administration is determined to push this deal through, Israel should not merely protest from the sidelines. Despite operational setbacks, the regime’s goals remain unchanged: retaining power at any cost, advancing its nuclear capabilities, funding terror proxies, and targeting Israel. Jerusalem therefore must demand immediate, tangible concessions from Washington as the price of our compliance. We should press the U.S. to use its remaining leverage to secure low-hanging diplomatic fruit that fundamentally alters our strategic depth.
What does that look like?
A Security Treaty via Syria: Establishing a long-term security framework regarding Syria to permanently limit Iranian entrenchment on our northern border.
Expanding the Abraham Accords: Advancing Washington’s facilitation of historic normalization agreements with major Muslim-majority nations like Kuwait or Indonesia.
Kickstarting IMEC: Enlisting U.S. momentum behind the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor. By establishing Israel as the central logistical bridge between East and West, we can cement our status as an indispensable global hub.
A Coalition Forged by a Common Enemy
Beyond Washington, Iran’s indiscriminate aggression has inadvertently achieved the unimaginable: drawing its victims together into a unified front. The recent war shattered a long-held illusion among our neighbors — including Saudi Arabia, which has suffered direct, costly missile strikes, and the UAE — that they could safely navigate Tehran’s crosshairs through quiet diplomacy or tactical hedging. Facing a shared threat and a shifting American security guarantee, these nations are being driven directly into Israel’s orbit.
This common vulnerability transforms former adversaries and cautious neighbors into natural allies, opening the door for a permanent air defense and maritime partnership anchored by Israeli technology. By lashing out across the board, Iran has rewritten the regional playbook, forcing an unprecedented coalition born entirely from a common enemy.
A Strategic Reset with Washington
This shifting regional dynamic highlights a deeper, more uncomfortable truth: it may not be so bad for Israel to be temporarily shunned by the Trump administration right now. The relationship has become a bit too “sticky” and over-reliant on the U.S. To frame it in classic pop-culture terms, both sides could desperately use a Ross and Rachel–style “we’re on a break” moment. Like the famous TV couple, this isn’t a permanent breakup, but a hazy pause where they leave the terms vague, misinterpret each other’s next moves, and endlessly litigate the fine print while letting growing animus among U.S. citizens and internal political tensions wind down.
Stepping out of the suffocating American “bear hug” forces a healthy recalculation of the future, giving Israel the space to transition into a self-reliant regional anchor that benefits both parties in the long term.
The Way Forward
This is a moment for cautious optimism, not despair. A bad deal with Iran is a challenge, but it is also the catalyst Israel needs to shed the role of a reactive client state.
With our borders temporarily quieted, our intelligence superior, and Iran facing catastrophic internal decay, the geopolitical board is ours to play. By taking the initiative, requesting high-value diplomatic compensation from the U.S., and expanding our economic and strategic footprints across the globe, Israel can turn a bad Western diplomatic maneuver into a historic Israeli victory. The horizon is wide open — it is time to step through.
Eli Herskowitz is an Israel-based writer who serves as the Director of Communications for Israel’s Ministry of Communications. He previously held roles in the Prime Minister’s Office, Knesset, and the British Embassy.
Originally published on Clarity with Michael Oren · June 22, 2026
