View from Israel: Q&A with Meir Ben Shabbat

Meir Ben Shabbat: To be frank, as long as the regime in Iran does not change, any achievement against it will be temporary. This is because the regime will never abandon its ambitions to realize its vision: establishing Iranian hegemony across the entire region, weakening American influence, and dealing with the “Little Satan.” It will funnel whatever resources it manages to secure—under the auspices of one diplomatic agreement or another—into obtaining nuclear military capability, a massive ballistic missile array, and proxy networks. The Iranian regime is not limited by terms in office, nor is it subject to electoral constraints. It views things through a long-term lens. If Trump is currently in its way, it will, at most, keep a low profile for a while, only to rush back to its plans once he is gone. The West struggles to grasp this mindset because it is accustomed to a democratic political culture.

The full interview was published in the Jerusalem Strategic Tribune on July 24, 2026.

*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.