TEL AVIV — US President Donald Trump's decision to pursue a ceasefire with the Iranian regime puts Israel in a difficult position: despite its military achievements, Tehran may be emerging as the victor of the current campaign.

Israeli euphoria 

The Feb. 28 opening strike of the joint Israeli-American operation, which killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was a tightly coordinated operation, a military alliance that took out key leadership figures, struck much of Iran's senior military command, achieved overwhelming air superiority and degraded significant portions of its arsenals and industrial capacity.

Israel Air Force fighter pilots returning from their sorties over Iran that day were euphoric. Their strikes were precise and the shock on the Iranian side was immense. Israeli commanders and politicians spoke of history in the making, of Israel proving itself an unbeatable regional hegemon. The initial bombings of Iran’s missile stocks sharply reduced missile launches toward Israel, although the corresponding increase in attacks by Hezbollah from Lebanon appeared designed to compensate. Iran also started using cluster warheads, with each launch equivalent to dozens or even hundreds of bombs.