The roller coaster continues.
On Wednesday night/Thursday morning, attacks were exchanged between the U.S. and Iran. Iran had also attacked American bases in Iraq. It seemed like military action was finally going to happen, and the Trump Administration was going to remove the threat of a nuclear Iran by force, since negotiations were clearly at a stalemate.
But by Thursday mid-morning, Axios news agency reported that the U.S. and Iran had reached an agreement, but final approval from U.S. President Donald Trump was still required. According to “official sources” who spoke with the news agency, Witkoff and Kushner had briefed Trump on the details of the agreement, and he ‘asked for a few days to think about it.’ The agreement is for a 60-day extension of the ceasefire, during which time the Strait of Hormuz would be reopened by the Iranians, who, depending on which source you listen to, might or might not be charging tolls. This extension would also be so that, in theory, a nuclear agreement could be worked out during these 60 days.
But wait: Early on Thursday afternoon, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said that “the teams are conducting back-and-forth contacts. President Trump made this clear. He said in the Cabinet meeting that he has several red lines: Iran must hand over the uranium, it must not continue developing nuclear weapons and the Strait of Hormuz must remain open for free passage.” But by mid-afternoon, Reuters reported that the Iranian air defense system “downed” a hostile American aircraft in the Bushehr area in southern Iran.
And yet, only a few hours later, JD Vance addressed reports of progress in negotiations with Iran, telling reporters in Washington that ‘we’re not quite there yet,’ but both sides are moving closer to an agreement. Vance noted that the U.S. is in a position from which it can significantly delay Iran’s nuclear program.
I’m not even clear what “a position from which it can significantly delay Iran’s nuclear program” even means! Let alone that the statement seems in direct opposition of Trump’s commitment to Iran never having nuclear weapons and having to hand over all enriched uranium.
Throw into this mix the announcement by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Friday morning that Washington and Tehran have reached a preliminary agreement to extend the ceasefire, and that Iranian policy is to “strengthen cooperation with Islamic countries and neighboring countries in all areas,” and a ceasefire extension seems even more confusing. It would seem that the Iranian President is only concerned with Islamic countries, which is in harmony with the statements that come out of the Iranian regime repeatedly and consistently about how America and Israel must both be destroyed, but directly antithetical to American and Israeli goals.
Is anyone else getting dizzy and feeling like their head is bouncing back and forth?
Whenever I feel this way, I find the best tool to center myself is to look at the words of Torah. And again, these sacred biblical words found in this week’s Torah reading bring comfort and awareness.
It is in this week’s reading that we find the Birkat Cohanim (the Priestly Benediction, Numbers 6:23-27). Used in almost all Jewish and Catholic services, it is a blessing that we need to not only remember, but to accept.
May God bless and protect you
May God lift up his face and be kind and gracious with you
May God bestow favor upon you and grant you peace.
And the next line is rarely recited, but especially important for us to accept in these troubling times: “Then shall My name be linked with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”
As we traverse through this roller coaster of events and the seeming dangers that are increasing in Israel, the United States, and the world, let us all fully accept that blessing that no matter how challenging things look, God will always bless and protect us.
Shabbat Shalom and Chazak u’Baruch
Rabbi Michael Barclay
May 29, 2026
13th of Sivan, 5786
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