How the Iran War Is Reshaping Israeli Strategy | The High Top

In this episode of The High Top, Daniel Byman, Director of the Warfare, Irregular Threats, and Terrorism Program, joins Jon B. Alterman, Brzezinski Chair in Global Security and Geostrategy, to examine how the Iran war is reshaping Israeli strategy and the U.S.-Israel relationship. Their conversation unpacks Israeli perceptions of victory, Netanyahu's calculations about the Trump administration, and the doctrine that has driven Israeli policy since October 7th. 

Israel has shifted from traditional deterrence toward a posture of weakening adversaries. That logic explains the sustained strikes against Hamas, Hezbollah, and now Iran, but it depends on an operational element that may be hard to sustain, and it leaves long-term political problems unsolved. Meanwhile, Israeli leaders are watching U.S.-Iran negotiations with concern, worried that Washington will accept a deal akin to the JCPOA in order to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, and parsing whether President Trump is best understood as a staunch ally, a leader they can manipulate, or an erratic partner who could turn tomorrow.

To explore how the Iran war is reshaping Israeli strategy, the U.S.-Israel alliance, and the regional order, tune into Jon and Dan's full conversation.

This event is made possible through general support to the Center for Strategic and International Studies.