Why isn't the war that was supposed to be over, over? - analysis

Iran launched missile barrages at Israel from Sunday night into Monday, warning of retaliation for Israeli strikes in Beirut's Dahiyeh district. These actions unsettled a fragile ceasefire framework that had not resolved the underlying conflict. Israel subsequently struck targets within Iran, including military and economic sites, and reported intercepting missiles aimed at its air bases.

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the operation, which took place up to the ceasefire on April 8, had ended, but the war had not, because there had been no formal agreement to end it.

President Donald Trump publicly urged both sides to cease firing and pressed for an immediate halt to the exchange, stating that final negotiations for "peace" were ongoing. However, Brig. Gen. (res.) Yossi Kuperwasser, director of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security, told The Media Line that while a specific operation concluded on April 8, the broader war has not ended due to the absence of a formal agreement.

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Mostly the Iranians are worried because the situation is putting a lot of pressure on them. Their proxies are suffering heavily.

Kuperwasser suggested the renewed fighting reflects dissatisfaction on both sides. He argued that Iran is under pressure from a US blockade, sanctions, economic hardship, and the weakening of its proxies. Conversely, Israel remains unwilling to accept a situation where Hezbollah can rebuild or operate from Southern Lebanon while Iran attempts to deter Israeli actions there. "Mostly the Iranians are worried because the situation is putting a lot of pressure on them. Their proxies are suffering heavily," Kuperwasser observed, adding that Israel is also unsatisfied because "we want the threat from Hezbollah to be much lower and better dealt with."

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we want the threat from Hezbollah to be much lower and better dealt with.

The immediate trigger was Lebanon, where Israel's strike in Dahiyeh targeted two buildings following recent Hezbollah attacks. Iran had previously warned that any action in Dahiyeh would result in direct retaliation. The Iranian missiles appeared to confirm Tehran's effort to link developments in Lebanon with the direct Israel-Iran front, a connection Israel and the United States have sought to keep separate. Dr. Raz Zimmt, director of the Iran Program at the Institute for National Security Studies, noted that Tehran has been emphasizing this link for weeks, indicating Iran would not accept a durable arrangement with Washington while the Lebanese arena remained outside such a deal. Zimmt stated this move reflects Iran's ideological and strategic commitment to Hezbollah.

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Iran, from both its ideological point of view, but also on