Israel’s Chief of the General Staff, Lieutenant General Eyal Zamir, has warned that the military is facing mounting risks due to a shortage of personnel. Speaking at a security cabinet meeting, he made it clear that unless the staffing crisis is addressed, the Israeli armed forces could face collapse, according to The Jerusalem Post.

At the same time, concerns voiced by international experts are growing sharper. American economist Jeffrey Sachs said the situation in the Middle East is rapidly sliding toward further escalation. He noted that despite statements from U. S. President Donald Trump about progress, events on the ground tell a different story: Israel carried out strikes on Tehran, and Iran responded with missile attacks. In his assessment, there are no signs of any pause in the confrontation, and the situation is becoming increasingly dangerous as additional U.S. forces, including Marines, are reportedly being deployed.

Earlier, on March 23, Trump claimed that the sides had reached an agreement on a temporary truce and announced a five-day halt to strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure. However, authorities in Tehran denied these claims. Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf stated that no negotiations had taken place and described the U.S. statements as an attempt to manipulate markets.

The escalation traces back to February 28, when the United States and Israel began striking targets inside Iran, including sites in Tehran. In response, Iran has been launching attacks on Israeli territory as well as on U.S. military facilities across the Middle East.