Gadi Eisenkot, the former military chief given a chance to form Israel’s new governing coalition and replace Benjamin Netanyahu, faces a daunting challenge beyond domestic politics: repairing a broken relationship with the United States, The New York Times reported.
“For the first time in the history of our relationship with the United States, we have no recourse,” Michael Oren, a former Israeli ambassador to Washington and deputy prime minister under Netanyahu, told The New York Times. “We have to start from scratch. We have a lot of fence mending to do and with no guarantee of success. Zero.”
The U.S.-Israel alliance has strained significantly over military campaigns in Gaza and pressure for conflict with Iran that drove up gas prices, according to The New York Times. President Trump announced this month that he would cut off billions in annual U.S. military aid to Israel by the end of the year, blaming Israel in part for Republican midterm election losses.
🚫 CLAIM: Today, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it attacked a “U. S. early-warning radar” in Bahrain. ✅ FACT: The IRGC launched two one-way attack drones toward Bahrain and both were shot down by U. S. forces. There were no injuries or damage. pic.twitter.com/mGvAJJGM6x
Meanwhile, the regional fallout from the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran continues to choke global supply chains. Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the UN Office for Project Services, told COP31 climate talks in Antalya, Turkey, that an Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz—which began after a joint U.S.-Israeli attack in late February—has severely restricted shipping, Asharq Al-Awsat reported.
“They should continue their negotiations about the comprehensive deal — but that deal should not avoid an immediate, exceptional, limited, and time-bound solution for the fertilizers,” Moreira da Silva told Asharq Al-Awsat regarding shipments through the strait.
| Metric / Area | Reported Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. Military Aid | Billions in annual aid cut off by the end of the year | The New York Times |
| Strait of Hormuz Fertilizer Prices | Prices rose by 30 percent following blockades | Asharq Al-Awsat |
| Potential Food Insecurity Impact | 45 million people could face severe and acute food insecurity | Asharq Al-Awsat |
Before the conflict, a third of the world’s fertilizers passed through the Strait of Hormuz, but blockades have spiked prices by 30 percent, Asharq Al-Awsat reported. Moreira da Silva warned that vulnerable nations including Mozambique, Kenya, Sudan, Somalia, Nepal, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka face severe consequences.
“If we continue missing the planting seasons in different parts of the world we may have 45 million people facing severe and acute food insecurity,” Moreira da Silva told Asharq Al-Awsat. “We may have 30 million people being forced into poverty.”
.@SECWAR “Later in Operation Epic Fury, by every measure, we achieved a historic MILITARY VICTORY. Under 40 days of sustained combat. More than 13,000 targets struck. Their navy sunk. Their air force grounded. Their defense industrial base — gone. More than 80 percent of their… pic.twitter.com/g0sE5cyWMR”
