Fighting between Israel and Iran flared up for 12 hours on June 7th, with both sides trading missiles and air strikes. The temporary resumption of hostilities highlighted US President Donald Trump's twin failures in controlling his Israeli ally and cajoling Iran to accept a lasting truce.
Israel's Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu defied Trump twice in rapid succession, first attacking Beirut and then ignoring the president's instructions to not strike back. The US is now left with a dilemma, having tried and failed to impose ceasefires on Israel and Iran.
Trump's relationship with Netanyahu is strained, with the president telling the prime minister he's 'fucking crazy' and would be in prison if it weren't for him. However, Netanyahu's aides insist the two leaders are still close.
The US is reluctant to break with its ally, despite growing public support for Israel waning across partisan, generational, and religious boundaries. Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu faces an election by October and is under intense criticism for failing to deliver decisive results in the wars Israel has been fighting for nearly three years.
