As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gears up to meet US President Donald Trump, some expect he'll push against ending Gulf hostilities. This view is backed by over fifty years of history. Declassified intel,memoirs from top US officials,investigative reports—all point same way . Scholars like Trita Parsi and David Menashri note Israel aimed to stop Iran or Iraq from winning outright or ending war .
Prolonged fighting, in this light, keeps both rivals down—militarily,economically . Advertisement Israeli broadcasts joined psychological warfare. They stressed Iraqi weaknesses when Iran hesitated, flipped script when Iraqis,Arabs needed reassurance.
Experts on wartime messaging say this strategy muddied public expectations, making peace harder,pushing conflict continuation. ‘Goodwill begets goodwill’ moment arose as Western hostages freed in Lebanon, 1991. Iranian President Hashemi Rafsanjani backed global mediation. Many thought US President George H W Bush would follow through on his 1989 promise that “goodwill begets goodwill”…but it never happened.
- A prolonged conflict,from this perspective,would leave both regional rivals militarily and economically weakened .
- Advertisement Israeli state broadcasting also became part of the broader contest for psychological influence.
- Broadcasts emphasised Iraqi vulnerabilities when Iranian decision-makers appeared hesitant while highlighting Iranian setbacks when Iraqi and Arab audiences required reassurance.
- In his book Man Without a Gun, Picco argues that Israeli officials foiled aspects of the negotiated framework.
In Man Without a Gun, Picco claims Israeli officials blocked parts of negotiations. Meanwhile,domestic US politics—AIPAC pressures, US loan guarantee debates—curbed Bush’s diplomatic moves. From here, US talk of mutual trust-building didn't match actions, deepening mistrust that would linger. The ‘axis of evil’ shift: post-9/11,Iran and United States briefly aligned in Afghanistan.
Despite popular belief, US wasn't crafting a grand coalition post-9/11 to topple Taliban . Advertisement As late diplomat James Dobbins put it,“United States joined existing coalition [led by Iran] against Taliban since mid-90s.” Ex-Secretary State Colin Powell and Dobbins praised Iran's role in Bonn talks for post-Taliban Afghanistan. Within weeks,Israel stirred a political shift in Washington...
