The agreement between the U.S. and IRAN behind Israel's back

On February 28, a joint military operation by the United States and Israel against Iran was initiated. The Epic Fury Operation, as designated by the U.S. State Department (Lion’s Roar was the term used by the Israeli Defense Forces), aimed primarily to block the development of the Iranian nuclear program, nullify its military capabilities, and, according to President Trump himself, provoke a regime change.

On June 18, the same leader of the White House signed in France, at the symbolic Palace of Versailles, a memorandum of understanding aimed at halting the conflict in the Middle East. The document discusses a cessation of hostilities and a multimillion-dollar reconstruction fund for Iran, among other things.

It is unclear whether the United States has achieved any of its objectives, and the political and symbolic cost of this operation to the global superpower is evident. The discontent of the Israeli government with the agreement and the tensions it generates with its main ally are also visible; so much so that the U.S. Vice President, who leads the technical negotiations for the agreement on behalf of Washington, JD Vance, has criticized and called for silence from members of “Bibi” Netanyahu’s cabinet, stating that the United States is the only country that maintains its support for Israel.

• Who won and who lost in this conflict?

• Were the objectives of the White House and the Epic Fury Operation met?

• What position does Israel find itself in?

• What does the realization of the agreement depend on?

• What can the rest of the world expect?

• How should Latin American governments act in this global scenario?

These are some of the questions in this chapter of POLIS where Lucía López converses with: JAIME ABEDRAPO, director of the Center for Public Law and Society at USS, former deputy director of the National Academy of Political and Strategic Studies, ANEPE. DIEGO SAZO, head of Research in International Relations at Athena Lab. He holds a PhD in Political Science and a master’s degree in Conflict Studies from LSE. Both have served as advisors to the Chilean Ministry of Defense and other institutions related to security, strategy, and defense. POLIS, where Philosophy and the analysis of International Relations come together to understand the global scenario.