State of Israel Undercuts U.S. Ceasefire Talks [U.S.–Iran War]

The State of Israel, which has been attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran for more than three weeks in coordination with the United States of America (U.S.), continued its strikes despite Washington’s efforts to negotiate an end to the war. Analysts noted that the two countries’ war aims are fundamentally different and predicted that their approaches would eventually collide.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) stated on social media on the 23rd (local time), "According to initial reports, we are currently conducting airstrikes against targets of the Iranian terror regime in the heart of the capital, Tehran." They did not disclose the specific locations or scale of the strikes. Tasnim News Agency reported that nine people, including teachers and students, were killed and 45 injured that morning in Khorramabad in the west, in attacks carried out by the U.S. and the State of Israel. The same day in Bushehr in the south, a meteorological office was hit, and an airport weather official was killed.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed in a social media post about 50 minutes before the IDF announcement that he was in negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran. At the same time, he said he would postpone for five days the bombing campaign against Iran’s power grid that he had signaled on the 21st. Given that it takes about two hours and 30 minutes to fly to Tehran, the airstrikes that day likely began before Trump’s statement.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of the State of Israel who had previously drawn Trump’s ire by attacking the Islamic Republic of Iran’s energy facilities, said in a video posted on social media that he had spoken with "our friend" Trump. He explained, "We discussed ways to translate the military achievements of the U.S.–Israel coalition against Iran into negotiations that protect Israel’s interests." He added, "We will defend our core interests under any circumstances," stressing that the State of Israel "is continuing its attacks in Iran and Lebanon." Netanyahu said they are "neutralizing Iran’s missile and nuclear programs and striking Hezbollah hard in (Lebanon)." He went on, "Just a few days ago, we eliminated two more nuclear scientists, and this is not the end."
On the 20th, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (CEIP) argued in its journal that Washington’s objective in the war against the Islamic Republic of Iran is the "Venezuela model." It assessed that Trump wants to secure resources by working with moderates inside Iran. By contrast, the State of Israel seeks to hit as many targets as possible and weaken the Iranian regime through a "mowing the grass" strategy.
The Islamic Republic of Iran, meanwhile, rejected Trump’s claim that negotiations are underway. On the 23rd alone, Iran fired missiles at the State of Israel at least six times, and the fourth through sixth missiles were launched several hours after Trump’s message about talks was made public. On the same day, Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Iran’s central military command, asserted that they had struck key Israeli positions, including air bases in the Persian Gulf and strategic sites in Haifa and Tel Aviv.
pjw@fnnews.com Park Jong-won Reporter