Lt. Col. (res.) Maurice Hirsch, a senior researcher at the Jerusalem Center for Foreign Affairs and Security, believes President Donald Trump is seeking to avoid a major confrontation with Iran before the US midterm elections in November.
According to Hirsch, the White House is likely to continue promoting ceasefires, partial understandings and temporary arrangements designed to postpone a final decision on Iran.
The calculation is largely political. The issue that matters most to American voters is the economy—not Israel, Iran or broader US foreign policy. Trump is therefore expected to focus in the coming months on economic growth, energy prices and repairing the financial damage caused by the war.
Only after the midterms may it become clear whether Trump intends to escalate the confrontation with Iran or continue managing the crisis through limited agreements and temporary pauses.
