Trump speaks next to Netanyahu at Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida. December 29, 2025. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
For Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the war in Iran has redrawn Israel's political map on his terms, pivoting attention away from Gaza and toward Iran, where national consensus is strongest.
Meanwhile, for US President Donald Trump it has done the reverse: trapping him in a conflict with no clear exit, exposing his Gulf Arab allies to spiralling risks, and undercutting the economic storyline that powered his return to office.
“There is a clear winner and a clear loser,” said Aaron David Miller, a former US Middle East negotiator.
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