Exhausted Iranians may yet get a fortnight’s respite from airstrikes, but Trump’s central war objectives remain unmet, and hard questions are left unresolved. Trump launched Operation Epic Fury on Feb. 28 demanding unconditional surrender, the elimination of Iran’s nuclear program and the destruction of its ballistic missiles. Given the distance between the sides, a return to the status quo before the war is one very possible outcome. The regime that the United States and Israel were eager to see fall may well endure for years. Before the war, Netanyahu had reportedly pitched Trump on a plan to destroy Iran’s ballistic missile program in weeks and topple the regime.

Source: Washington Post April 09, 2026 15:02 UTC