Iran, US, and Israel: Which will win a peace within?
Of all the reasons that the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran has ceased, leading to a tentative deal, at least one had a common thread: Each nation seemed to worry more about internal political ruptures than about winning the war.
In each country, then, a desire to keep hold of national cohesion might have helped silence the guns 鈥� and could influence the difficult negotiations still to come.
In Israel, for example, a newly released poll showed some 55% of the public sees internal political polarization as the most dangerous threat to the country鈥檚 existence 鈥� far more than threats of violence from Iran. That widespread concern over domestic friction also carries some hope for national unity.
鈥淚t is possible to cultivate a space of agreement in Israeli society, but it requires a practical action plan aimed at that, and not at defeating the identity-based rival,鈥� Yedidia Stern, president of the Jewish People Policy Institute that conducted the survey, told The Jerusalem Post.
In Iran, where a majority of people already disapprove of theocratic rule, the war as well as the compromises with the United States has exposed rifts among high-level power factions.
The divisions became so alarming that the supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, was forced to intervene. On May 28, he issued a message for lawmakers to avoid 鈥渁bsurd differences鈥� and focus on solving the severe economic challenges. 鈥淢ore than ever, unity must be protected,鈥� he wrote.
On June 1, Iran鈥檚 politically besieged president, Masoud Pezeshkian, held a Cabinet meeting in which he pleaded to stay in office, while asking the public to endure more energy blackouts. In addition, as the war was ending, protests sprang up in many cities, driven largely by complaints over meeting daily needs.
In the U.S., meanwhile, President Donald Trump felt public pressure over the war beyond complaints about high gasoline prices. According to polls, more Americans across the political spectrum are worried about polarization itself. In December, a Gallup poll found Americans are most pessimistic about political cooperation. About three-quarters see politically motivated violence as a major problem, according to a poll last June. Less than half see Iran as a major threat to the U.S. A foreign war like the one with Iran 鈥� which had weak support 鈥� only adds to rising concerns over political divisions.
鈥淎mericans may disagree deeply about leadership and policy,鈥� wrote civic data watcher Sarah Stamper on Substack, but for many, 鈥渢here is a conviction underneath it all: it does not have to be this way.鈥�
For now, the task of avoiding more conflict with Iran might depend on how well each of these three countries achieves greater political harmony. A society at peace with itself usually doesn鈥檛 draw enemy fire.
