Once again, a familiar pattern is playing out in US-Iran tensions: one side talks of diplomacy paired with threats of force. And when Washington treats the standoff as a strategy, it only makes an unstable region more dangerous and increases the odds of a wider conflict. If the stated goal is de-escalation, why keep turning the negotiating table into a launchpad confrontation?

Trump casts himself as the dealmaker, as if pressure automatically yields persuasion. Meanwhile, his partner in crime, Netanyahu, insists every negotiation is a trap unless Iran surrenders completely. Together, they reduce the region to a bargaining chip, one misstep away from full-scale war.

Yet Tehran has drawn a hard line: nuclear talks and nothing else. That stance, in turn, puts it at odds with Washington and Tel Aviv, which want Iran’s missile program and regional influence on the table.

That nuclear-only track is precisely what keeps Netanyahu up at night. For him, any deal that sidesteps ballistic missiles and proxies is unacceptable and he worries Trump will settle for a partial win and sell it as historic.

As a result, the issue is no longer only US-Iran friction but a US-Israel dispute over what “success” actually means.

This week’s developments have widened the split. After meeting Netanyahu, Trump said nothing definitive was decided and again called for negotiations. However, Washington is still stacking its military posture with the USS Abraham Lincoln and accompanying........

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