Weekly Commentary: Don't Count on Mowing Iranian Grass in 2029
Dr. Aaron Lerner 28 March 2026

Here in Israel, the media is bending over backwards in a campaign supporting
the abandonment of the war effort.

We are being served nonstop coverage of our casualties (mostly people who
actively declined to take shelter), with so little coverage of the
incredible damage we are doing to our enemies that you might miss it
altogether when clicking through Ynet and other popular sources or listening
to radio or television.

The push is for us to relate to what we've done as "mowing the grass," with
the idea that we can stop now and repeat the exercise when the "grass" needs
"mowing" again.

We are working on technologies that may very well make it dramatically
easier for us to face our enemies in the future.

But technology is only one factor.

The post-Trump world may be a nightmare for us.

We already hear voices on the left and also in segments of the right.

If we consign the current war to being no more than a grass-mowing
operation, we could find ourselves facing an American arms embargo and a
U.S.-sponsored UN Security Council ceasefire resolution the next time we are
compelled to mow the grass.

So, every decision we make today must take into account the international
conditions we may face in 2029 and beyond.

This brings us to a supremely challenging balancing act with President
Trump.

On the one hand, we want to be as cooperative as possible with Mr. Trump to
keep on his good side.

But at the same time, this desire to keep Trump happy needs to be tempered
by the painful knowledge that we must get things done now-when they can be
done-even if it may annoy President Trump.

"I would like to thank an incredible man and patriot-Benjamin Netanyahu. He
is not the easiest man to deal with, but that's what makes him so great."
President Donald Trump, 13 October 2025, at the Knesset

For the sake of our nation, Prime Minister Netanyahu may very well find
himself making choices consistent with President Trump's observation.
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