WSJ delivers withering rebuke: Iran is playing Trump — and he's letting it happen

The conservative Wall Street Journal editorial board delivered a scathing verdict on Donald Trump's handling of Iran, accusing the regime of manipulating the president into rescuing Hezbollah, even as it openly violates ceasefires and fires at American forces.

In an editorial published Monday evening, the editorial board wrote that Iran is "throwing a wrench into negotiations with the U.S., and President Trump spent the rest of the day scrambling to satisfy Iran’s demand." That resulted in a fresh Lebanon ceasefire that handed Hezbollah a reprieve it didn't earn, the editors railed.

"Iran is winning its proxy a refuge," the board wrote, noting that Hezbollah had been firing an average of 125 rockets and 49 drones at Israel each day last week, yet Iran still halted U.S.-Israeli action by threatening to walk away from negotiations.

The editorial accused Iran of simultaneously testing Trump on multiple fronts — downing a U.S. drone over international waters, firing ballistic missiles at U.S. forces in Kuwait, and attacking Gulf states — while Trump consistently chooses de-escalation over confrontation.

"The shamelessness is always striking," the board wrote, pointing out that Iran has repeatedly violated the April 7 ceasefire while Trump continues insisting it still holds.

The board's harsh assessment lands as far-right Israeli officials openly defy Trump on the Lebanon front, creating pressure on both sides of the conflict.

"If he won’t send a different message, it will be difficult to get the regime to comply with a deal, no matter what it promises now," the WSJ board concluded.