Israel found itself at odds with its American ally on Wednesday after US officials moved ahead with a ceasefire proposal for Iran — a development that Israeli officials reportedly learned of with surprise. The disconnect suggested that coordination between Washington and Tel Aviv on the war’s diplomatic direction was incomplete, even as both continued to conduct joint and parallel military operations against Iran. Israel showed no sign of altering its military posture in response to the American peace initiative, completing yet another wave of airstrikes across Iran and continuing its ground offensive against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The US ceasefire framework, a 15-point document delivered through Pakistan, was rejected outright by Tehran, which submitted a five-point counter-plan instead. Iran’s state television quoted an unnamed official declaring that the war would end when Iran decided it would and not before. Foreign Minister Araghchi confirmed receipt of the US document while signalling no imminent negotiations. Israel, for its part, struck targets across Iran including a submarine development facility in Isfahan and continued to pound Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, where its forces were advancing despite fierce resistance.
Iran retaliated for the Israeli strikes with ballistic missiles launched at Israel and drone attacks aimed at Gulf states, including a strike that caused a large fire at Kuwait international airport. Kuwaiti authorities arrested six individuals linked to an alleged Hezbollah assassination network targeting the country’s leadership. Saudi Arabia’s air defences intercepted eight Iranian drones over the kingdom’s oil-producing eastern region. The UN Secretary-General called on Israel and Hezbollah to stand down in Lebanon, warning against creating another Gaza-like crisis in the country.
The US military’s campaign against Iran had by all accounts been severe. Admiral Cooper cited more than 10,000 targets struck, the destruction of 92% of Iran’s largest naval vessels, and the degradation of the majority of Iran’s missile and drone production capacity. Yet Iran’s capacity to inflict pain remained intact, with ongoing attacks on Israel, Gulf states, and threats of even wider action if the conflict expanded to include a ground invasion. Thousands of additional US troops were being deployed to the region, including 82nd Airborne paratroopers, suggesting the ground option had not been retired.
The political divergence between Israel’s desire to continue the fight and America’s desire for a resolution was an emerging complication. Trump’s approval rating had fallen to 36% and most Americans said the war had gone too far — pressures that gave the White House strong incentive to find an exit. Israel, by contrast, had strong strategic reasons to continue degrading Iranian military capacity while the opportunity existed. Whether Washington could align its ally’s objectives with its own timeline for ending the war was a challenge that would shape the conflict’s next phase.