Meir Ben Shabbat: I think Tehran, more than anyone else, is helping President Trump understand who he is dealing with. The month that has passed since the ‘memorandum of understandings’ was signed has helped dispel the optimism its architects tried to create. The Iranians have made clear that they will not back down from their position regarding the Strait of Hormuz. ‘The Strait of Hormuz belongs to Iran for historical and geographical reasons. This waterway will never return to what it was before the war,’ Ali Akbar Velayati, senior adviser to the Supreme Leader, declared. Similar messages have been delivered by numerous Iranian officials.

The insistence on dictating the conditions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, the maneuvering in negotiations, and the growing calls to eliminate Trump leave the American president with no alternative but military and economic pressure. Trump still prefers a bad agreement to a successful war, but he cannot surrender on the one issue that represented his only achievement in the ‘memorandum of understandings.’ He knows that capitulating to Iranian demands would not only embarrass him but would fail to resolve the crisis and would merely increase the appetite of the extremist regime. If this is how matters stand regarding the temporary memorandum, one can only imagine what negotiations over the far more complex nuclear issues will look like.

Published in Arutz 7, July 17, 2026.

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

Prof. Kobi Michael discusses a reported Mossad and CIA plan for regime change in Iran involving Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, emphasizing that the success of such operations or future U.S. strikes depends heavily on President Trump’s decisions.

He also analyzes the potential for Iranian retaliation against Israel, asserting that Israel would respond aggressively to any direct attack and remains in close coordination with the U.S. regarding regional threats like Hezbollah.

The full interview took place on ILTV on July 14, 2026.

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

Prof. Kobi Michael explains that while Israel currently prefers to let the United States lead the efforts against Iran, the two nations remain highly coordinated on military and intelligence levels.

He stresses that if Iran attacks, Israel will not wait for American permission to retaliate aggressively and may use the opportunity to complete strategic objectives intended in previous months.

The full interview took place on Channel I24 on July 12, 2026.

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

Prof. Kobi Michael discusses the escalating tensions and “statement war” between Iran and the United States regarding the control and potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

He analyzes how Iranian hubris and perceived American weakness could lead to severe U.S. military retaliation against infrastructure, potentially resulting in the collapse of the current Iranian regime.

The full interview took place on NewsX World on July 12, 2026.

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

https://youtu.be/QeUyS5dCvvE

Prof. Kobi Michael argues that Hamas’s move to dissolve its emergency government is a deceptive facade designed to retain actual control through its military wing and 40,000 Hamas-affiliated officials while appearing to yield civilian authority.

This strategy, influenced by Turkey and Qatar, aims to bypass international pressure for disarmament and maintain Hamas’s status as a dominant political power in the Palestinian arena.

The full interview took place on Chaifm on July 7, 2026.

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

Ruth Wasserman Lande highlights Qatar’s problematic strategy of instigating conflicts to position itself as a mediator and warns of its expanding influence in Lebanon.

She also outlines the competition between a Western-aligned energy axis involving Israel and the Gulf states and a rival coalition led by Turkey and China.

The full interview took place on Channel I24, Tuesday, July 9, 2026.

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

Dr. Adi Schwarz explains that Israel’s military actions are a necessary defense against Iranian-backed proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas, which have weaponized civilian infrastructure to facilitate attacks similar to the October 7th massacre.

He also emphasizes the strength of the Israel-U.S. alliance while dismissing international criticism as hypocritical, arguing that regional peace depends on dismantling these proxy networks.

The full interview took place in Al Arabiya English on July 7, 2026.

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

Dr. Yossi Mansharof: For over a year now, I have been warning in my various publications about a significant shift in the threat landscape: the Houthis are not content with launching missiles and drones, but are actively training for a ground invasion of Israel.

Their media outlets have documented drills involving tunnel infiltrations, the seizure of Israeli bases, and the abduction of soldiers. These exercises include the use of drones, tanks, machine guns, missiles, and rockets, tools intended to facilitate the conquest of Israeli territory.

Published in The Times Of Israel, Luly 08, 2026.

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

Prof. Kobi Michael argues that Hamas’s proposal to hand over administration to a national committee is a deceptive facade, as the group maintains its military wing and continues to dictate governance in the Gaza Strip.

He maintains that Israel should refuse concessions and focus on dismantling Hamas’s heavy weaponry while gradually implementing the “20 points plan” in IDF-controlled areas to weaken the group’s influence.

The full interview took place on Channel I24, on July 6, 2026.

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

Prof. Kobi Michael: The agreement is a most important Israeli achievement. First, because this is an official declaration by the states regarding respect for sovereignty, the right to security of the citizens in both states, and the pursuit of peace.

But beyond that, this is a precedent-setting agreement in which an Arab state allows the IDF to remain on its territory and to act against a terror organization whose members are citizens of the state, while Israel’s conditions regarding withdrawal from the territory, conditioned on the quality of implementation by the Lebanese army and the pace of progress of Hezbollah’s disarmament, are acceptable to that same Arab state.

The full interview was published in JNS on July 6, 2026.