{"id":24329,"date":"2025-06-29T07:23:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-29T07:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/?p=24329"},"modified":"2025-07-03T07:28:53","modified_gmt":"2025-07-03T07:28:53","slug":"the-israeli-iranian-war-is-not-over-it-has-just-entered-a-dangerous-pause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/2025\/06\/29\/the-israeli-iranian-war-is-not-over-it-has-just-entered-a-dangerous-pause\/","title":{"rendered":"The Israeli-Iranian war is not over\u2014it has just entered a dangerous pause"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Rubio blasts Iran strike leakers as \u2018professional stabbers\u2019<\/a><\/h4>\n

Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin reports on the Trump administration\u2019s reaction to leaks suggesting the Iran strikes failed. Ret. Gen. Joseph Votel joins \u2018America\u2019s Newsroom\u2019 to break down the impact on Iran\u2019s nuclear program.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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NEW<\/span>You can now listen to Fox News articles!<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

The headlines may proclaim a ceasefire, but let us be clear: the Israeli-Iranian war <\/a>is far from over. What we are witnessing is not peace\u2014it is a tactical intermission. The guns may be momentarily silent, but the war remains alive in motive, method, and mindset.<\/p>\n

Don’t be fooled. Israel-Iran ceasefire represents tactical intermission, not lasting peace<\/p>\n

President Donald\u00a0Trump\u2019s <\/a>June 23 announcement of a “complete and total ceasefire” between Israel and Iran brought a welcome pause to twelve days of deadly escalation. Yet his own remarks in the hours that followed, including en route to the NATO summit, betrayed the precarious nature of that agreement\u2014and the volatility of the players involved.<\/p>\n

ISRAEL BACKS AWAY FROM HEAVIER STRIKES ON IRAN, MAINTAINING CEASEFIRE AFTER TRUMP PRESSURE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Just before boarding Air Force One, Trump issued a pointed public rebuke: “Calm down, Israel!” He warned Prime Minister Benajamin Netanyahu<\/a> that any strike against Iran after the ceasefire’s effective hour would constitute a violation. His words reflected not only diplomatic urgency but the fragility of the arrangement he had just announced.<\/p>\n

And yet, within hours, both Iran and Israel reportedly launched limited retaliatory actions. Trump, visibly frustrated, criticized both sides for breaking faith: “They don\u2019t know what the\u00a0f*** they\u2019re doing.” He added: “I gotta get Israel to calm down now,” underscoring the degree to which U.S. pressure\u2014not mutual trust\u2014was the linchpin of the ceasefire\u2019s early survival.<\/p>\n

Therein lies the truth: the war has not ended. It has simply shifted forms.<\/p>\n

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Is the war between Israel and Iran over? Only if we define \u2018war\u2019 in the narrowest kinetic terms. But if we understand war as a clash of wills, ideologies, and strategic aims\u2014then this war continues, just under a different banner.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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There is no treaty, no verification regime, and no mutual recognition of legitimacy between the two states. Iran continues to deny Israel\u2019s right to exist<\/a>, and Israel views Iran\u2019s nuclear program\u2014and its regional proxy network\u2014as existential threats. A formal cessation of hostilities requires more than silence; it requires resolution. We are nowhere near that.<\/p>\n

CEASEFIRE: CAN A PAUSE IN FIGHTING LEAD TO LASTING PEACE WHERE CONFLICTS HAVE BECOME THE NORM?<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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To understand why this war is not over, consider the strategic objectives of each side. Israel\u2019s campaign was aimed at degrading Iran\u2019s nuclear infrastructure\u2014particularly the underground enrichment site at Fordow. While successful in the short term, it did not eliminate Iran\u2019s scientific knowledge or ideological commitment to nuclear capability. Tehran still possesses the technical talent, the raw materials, and\u2014most dangerously\u2014the motivation to rebuild and accelerate its weapons program.<\/p>\n

Iran\u2019s retaliatory missile strikes <\/a>on Israel and U.S. bases in Qatar and Iraq\u2014though largely intercepted\u2014served as symbolic warnings. More importantly, Tehran signaled that it retains the capacity to strike deep into the region. That message wasn\u2019t just for Tel Aviv\u2014it was for Washington, Riyadh, and the world.<\/p>\n

TIMELINE: TRUMP’S ISRAEL-IRAN CEASEFIRE NEARLY COLLAPSES HOURS AFTER ANNOUNCEMENT<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Behind the scenes, the shadow war continues. Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps still arms Hezbollah in Lebanon, trains militias in Iraq and Syria<\/a>, and directs proxy warfare through the Houthis in Yemen. Israeli airstrikes on Damascus and other locations in Syria persist, albeit in a lower-key fashion. Cyber operations, drone surveillance, and intelligence targeting remain on full alert. These are not post-war conditions. These are indicators of an unresolved and evolving conflict.<\/p>\n

Even the diplomacy surrounding the ceasefire reflects its fragility. The agreement was brokered through indirect channels, with no official joint communiqu\u00e9, no UN endorsement, and no follow-on roadmap. Iran has not re-engaged with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Israel, understandably, maintains its right to strike again if necessary. The rhetoric has cooled, but the posture remains hardened.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE FOR MORE FOX NEWS OPINION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

And then there is the political reality. Leaders in both countries face domestic constituencies who are skeptical of compromise. Hardliners in Tehran see the ceasefire as a pause to reload, not a step toward reconciliation. In Jerusalem, the Israeli public broadly supports preemptive action against a nuclear-armed adversary. Neither side has the political incentive\u2014nor the strategic trust\u2014to walk away from confrontation.<\/p>\n

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A map shows damage to Iran’s Fordow nuclear site after being struck by the United States in Operation Midnight Hammer. (Fox News)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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So, is the war over? Only if we define “war” in the narrowest kinetic terms. But if we understand war as a clash of wills, ideologies, and strategic aims\u2014then this war continues, just under a different banner.<\/p>\n

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CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

The international community must not confuse this quiet with peace. Rather, it must prepare for what comes next: a sustained period of covert confrontation, regional volatility, and the ever-present risk of open warfare returning with little warning. Diplomats must act urgently, not naively. Military leaders<\/a> must remain on alert. And political leaders\u2014especially in Washington\u2014must resist the temptation to declare victory before the conflict is truly resolved.<\/p>\n

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Trump\u2019s visible exasperation and his blunt warnings serve as a reminder: this ceasefire is no more secure than the tempers and tactics of the adversaries it binds. The Israeli-Iranian war is not over. It has simply entered its next, and perhaps most perilous, phase.<\/p>\n

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM ROBERT MAGINNIS<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

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Robert Maginnis is a retired US Army officer and the author of 12 books, including his most recent, “<\/i>Preparing for World War III<\/i><\/a>” (2024).<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rubio blasts Iran strike leakers as \u2018professional stabbers\u2019 Fox News senior correspondent Mike Tobin reports on the Trump administration\u2019s reaction to leaks suggesting the Iran strikes failed. Ret. Gen. Joseph Votel joins \u2018America\u2019s Newsroom\u2019 to break down the impact on Iran\u2019s nuclear program. NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The headlines may proclaim […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":24330,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24329","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-middle-east"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24329","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24329"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24329\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24569,"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24329\/revisions\/24569"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24330"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24329"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24329"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cissar.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24329"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}