Israel-Iran ceasefire in peril as trust deficit persists

US President Donald Trump seems to have started believing that a truce is a low-hanging fruit simply waiting to be plucked by him anytime, anywhere. Just a month and a half after he announced to the world that India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire at America’s behest, he made a similar declaration regarding the Israel-Iran conflict. But things were quickly back to square one as Israel and Iran persisted with hostilities amid a glaring trust deficit. Frustrated at the ceasefire violations by both sides, Trump admitted that he was “really unhappy” with Israel. And he even warned Tel Aviv, for a change, to mend its ways and see reason. The million-dollar question is: Will Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu listen to his friend Trump and exercise restraint, which has never been his strong suit?