The US-Israeli campaign against Iran reached its five-week mark on Saturday, with no clear mechanism to end the conflict in sight.
Five weeks of running to shelters and mass casualty events from Iranian missiles seems like an eternity to many Israelis, but it is still within the 4-6 week timeline offered by the White House early in the war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, more disciplined than US President Donald Trump, has preferred not to give firm estimates on how long the war might last, but said last week it was “definitely beyond the halfway point” in terms of its missions.
Trump’s attempts to bring the conflict to a successful termination through direct talks with the Iranians seem to be leading nowhere, as expected.
Mediators told The Wall Street Journal on Friday that negotiations have hit a “dead end.” Trump, meanwhile, extended his deadline for Iran a second time, vowing to rain “hell” on the country if it fails to reach a ceasefire deal or open the Strait of Hormuz by Monday.
Published originally on April 5, 2026.
Read the full article at the Times of Israel.
