The moment for a strategic realignment in the Middle East

The US and Israel must present Iran with terms - and avoid endless war

In 1967, just before the Six Day War, Israel’s Gen. Haim Bar-Lev famously promised to strike “fast, hard and in an elegant fashion.” That phrase came to define Israel’s traditional military doctrine: wars, when necessary, would be targeted, decisive and brief. Sadly, that has not been the guiding principle in Gaza — and that mistake cannot be repeated with Iran.

The weekend’s U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, following Israel’s unprecedented campaign, mark a turning point. These were historic blows, made possible by deep coordination and military sophistication. But now, the United States and Israel face a choice: declare a strategic success and move toward terms of surrender — or drag out the conflict in ways that risk uncontrollable escalation, regional destabilization, and economic disaster. Whatever happens in the next day or two, the goal for this week should be taking the win and leveraging it to realign the Middle East.