Welcome to The Times of Israel's Daily Briefing, your 20-minute audio update on what's happening in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world.

Editor David Horovitz joins host Amanda Borschel-Dan for today's episode.

In today's episode, we take a step back and take a look at the holistic picture that brought the US and Israel to declare war on the rapacious Iranian regime. We discuss attempts to initiate high-level negotiations with Iran and the potential consequences of a "premature" ceasefire.

Turning our gaze to Lebanon and Gaza, Horovitz describes how toppling Iran may be easier than the elusive "total victory" in Gaza or the suppression of Hezbollah in Lebanon.

We finish our conversation with a brief review of the stagnant status quo in Gaza amid a new effort from the Board of Peace to inject new momentum into the disarmament of Hamas.

Check out The Times of Israel's ongoing liveblog for more updates.

For further reading:

Seeking a deal with different faces of the same regime, Trump risks subverting his own vital war goals

9 injured as Iran fires 6 missile salvos at Israel within hours, many with cluster warheads

Trump: Iran wants deal ‘so badly’; White House says campaign ‘very close’ to meeting goals

Hezbollah fires missiles at central Israel; 2 soldiers seriously hurt in Lebanon

Hezbollah chief rejects Israel talks as ‘surrender’ amid continued IDF strikes

Board of Peace envoy lays out principles of disarmament plan presented to Hamas

Subscribe to The Times of Israel Daily Briefing on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts. This episode was produced by Gabriella Jacobs and edited by Ari Schlacht.

IMAGE: Pro-government supporters wave Iranian flags during a rally in a square in western Tehran, Iran, March 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)