Benjamin Netanyahu, fresh off what can only be described as a masterclass in how not to win a war, has emerged as the biggest loser in the preliminary deal to halt the US-Israel-Iran conflict. The Israeli prime minister, who has apparently never met a problem he couldn't make worse with extreme violence, now finds his closest ally turning against him and Iran feeling rather emboldened.

Netanyahu's approach to every Middle Eastern issue - from Hamas in Gaza to Hezbollah in Lebanon, from illegal West Bank land seizures to hostile militias in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen - has been consistent: apply disproportionate, often lawless force and hope for the best. The unprovoked war against Iran was the ultimate expression of this doctrine, and predictably, it failed spectacularly.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump is trying to spin the ceasefire memorandum he signed in Versailles (yes, that Versailles) as anything but the obvious capitulation it is. While the US president may survive the global mockery and scepticism, Netanyahu's political career is looking about as healthy as a ceasefire agreement written by the people who started the war. Israel's longest-serving prime minister is, in many respects, already yesterday's man.