Steve Clemons

We were really close to a real deal to end this.

And then what happens is that Donald Trump's political legs from the Republicans he liked began criticizing what they were putting together, and that ran in.

That's why this is such an impossible situation.

It's not just Iran and the United States.

It's Iran, it's Israel, it's Lebanon, it's Hezbollah, and it's Lindsey Graham and other people who are at various points rejecting part of this.

It's impossible to know what's close or not because every time one gets close, someone tries to take action to pull the legs out from underneath the deal.

The United States does not have total control of Israel ever.

Israel is a sovereign country.

It has its interests.

It has tremendous influence over Israel, but not definitive total influence.

Israel has an election coming up in October, and right now,

those that see this as the moment to clear all decks of Israel's threats in the region, it sees this moment as a unique moment where establishing security lines in Lebanon, moving its agenda, depopulating certain areas that it once depopulated,

sending a shiver through the spines of its enemies, it doesn't see these moments coming up so often.

And it is very hell-bent that it's gonna do that.

And it's got a cabinet that largely wants to do even more than Benjamin Netanyahu does.

Netanyahu, and this is not the one that's fully as geared around depopulating Gaza and some others as many of his cabinet colleagues are.

So in this moment, it's hard politically

for Israel to turn off the off switch.

The United States can turn off Israel's off switch if it sends a signal we're no longer giving you the weapons to do what you're doing.

And until Donald Trump gets there, and I don't think he will, then Netanyahu will play his cards.