Escalating the Iran conflict would drain US military resources, push up oil prices, and fuel inflation at home, former Iranian diplomat Abdolreza Bani-Ali tells Sputnik.
He warns “a large-scale war could last for years,” weakening Washington’s position compared to Russia and China and deepening political pressure on the administration in light of the upcoming midterm elections.
💬 "Also, the US' regional allies among the Persian Gulf countries are not supporters of a protracted war," Abdolreza Bani-Ali concludes.
Jianwei Han, an associate professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, believes Iran has shown extraordinary resilience against U.S. military pressure, and that the current confrontation marks a watershed moment reshaping the Middle East's strategic landscape.
The U.S. has reportedly informed Israel that it plans to escalate attacks on Iran in the coming days. The Middle East conflict may be entering an even more dangerous phase.
The next phase of the war may be imminent. Israel has reportedly entered its highest state of military readiness after being notified by Washington that the United States is preparing a major expansion of operations against Iran, according to Kan.
The report says U.S. plans could include the first deployment of heavy bombers in the conflict, with Pickaxe Mountain among the suspected targets. At the same time, dozens of KC-135 and KC-46 aerial refueling aircraft are reportedly being repositioned across Israel and the region to support sustained long-range strike missions.
In response, Israeli Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has convened an emergency meeting of the entire General Staff at the Kirya in Tel Aviv, with discussions focused on air-defense readiness and preparations for the possibility of a large-scale, multi-front missile response from Iran.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Iran is not interested in talking to the U.S. either directly or indirectly and that the U.S. has been trying to reach out to them for negotiations.
"On the day Iran was supposed to issue the statement, they targeted and struck a vessel."
"The agreement with Iran included reopening the Strait of Hormuz and ensuring freedom of navigation. Iran was supposed to issue a statement to that effect a week and a half ago."
"Agreements are based on compliance. We reached an agreement with Iran, then they violated it, and it is no longer in effect."
Both Donald Trump during the NATO submit in Turkey and Iranian leaders declared the Islamabad agreement dead as escalations surged in the strait of Hormuz.
The U.S. has been surging forces, medics and weaponry to the Middle East to give President Trump more muscular military options as he considers expanding the conflict against Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.
Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces completed another round of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, marking the 12th consecutive night of attacks.
CENTCOM said the operation targeted Iranian maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense assets, adding that the strikes were intended to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian shipping.
John Bolton: Nearly five months after launching US-Israeli strikes against Iran, Donald Trump seems to have lost his way. We still don’t know what his objectives are. One thing is certain: he is panicked about America’s November election, and what voters will say about the Iran war.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that "an explosion occurred on an oil tanker, and two tankers that were attempting to pass through the southern passage of the mine-filled Strait of Hormuz were forced to retreat due to U.S. provocation. Any vessel that is deceived by the United States and intends to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without coordinating with us will be subjected to incidents."
The U.S. has been surging forces, medics and weaponry to the Middle East to give President Trump more muscular military options as he considers expanding the conflict against Iran, according to people familiar with the matter.
Wednesday, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said US forces completed another round of strikes against Iran on Wednesday, marking the 12th consecutive night of attacks.
CENTCOM said the operation targeted Iranian maritime capabilities, missile and drone storage facilities, coastal surveillance sites, and air defense assets, adding that the strikes were intended to further degrade Iran’s ability to threaten civilian shipping.
John Bolton: Nearly five months after launching US-Israeli strikes against Iran, Donald Trump seems to have lost his way. We still don’t know what his objectives are. One thing is certain: he is panicked about America’s November election, and what voters will say about the Iran war.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed that "an explosion occurred on an oil tanker, and two tankers that were attempting to pass through the southern passage of the mine-filled Strait of Hormuz were forced to retreat due to U.S. provocation. Any vessel that is deceived by the United States and intends to pass through the Strait of Hormuz without coordinating with us will be subjected to incidents."
According to the Press TV, three US-backed oil tankers attempted to pass through the mined route south of the Strait of Hormuz. After one of the tankers exploded and caught fire, the other two quickly turned around and retreated.
Iran's army warned on Thursday that it could adopt new military strategies if the United States continued attacking infrastructure and coastal areas in the country's south, saying its retaliatory operations were entering a new phase.
Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said the armed forces were carrying out retaliatory strikes after what he described as a US violation of an understanding between the two sides.
"If they insist on continuing their hostile actions against our country's southern regions, we will certainly adopt new measures," Akraminia told the Defence Press news agency. "New scenarios have been anticipated and worked on, and we will definitely act in a new way to deter the enemy from continuing the war."
He said Iran had other strategies that would be disclosed "at the appropriate time" and that its air force and air defences were better prepared after using a ceasefire period to improve combat readiness.
Akraminia also said Iran considered a ground assault possible and had prepared for different scenarios.
"If the enemy resorts to aggression by land, its vulnerability will certainly be far greater than in air or long-range attacks," he said, adding that ground operations would give Iranian forces more opportunities to inflict casualties.
Already, Iranian forces destroyed US military bases in the Gulf region in Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Jordan inflicting multiple casualties against United States. Certainly no where in the middle east is safe for the American forces and weapons.
With Britain granting US access to use her military base for operation against Iran or even including and preparing to join the war alongside with the US and Israel, wining or loosing the war against Tehran will not save UK from becoming a target of the Islamic Republic retaliations.
For the Iranian nuclear program that has been the bone of contention and wars, Washington gave Saudi Arabia go ahead for the civilian nuclear program and Uranium enrichment.
Iran's army warned on Thursday that it could adopt new military strategies if the United States continued attacking infrastructure and coastal areas in the country's south, saying its retaliatory operations were entering a new phase.
Army spokesperson Mohammad Akraminia said the armed forces were carrying out retaliatory strikes after what he described as a US violation of an understanding between the two sides.
"If they insist on continuing their hostile actions against our country's southern regions, we will certainly adopt new measures," Akraminia told the Defence Press news agency. "New scenarios have been anticipated and worked on, and we will definitely act in a new way to deter the enemy from continuing the war."
He said Iran had other strategies that would be disclosed "at the appropriate time" and that its air force and air defences were better prepared after using a ceasefire period to improve combat readiness.
Akraminia also said Iran considered a ground assault possible and had prepared for different scenarios.
"If the enemy resorts to aggression by land, its vulnerability will certainly be far greater than in air or long-range attacks," he said, adding that ground operations would give Iranian forces more opportunities to inflict casualties.
Already, Iranian forces destroyed US military bases in the Gulf region in Iraq, Syria, Bahrain, Kuwait, UAE, Jordan inflicting multiple casualties against United States. Certainly no where in the middle east is safe for the American forces and weapons.
With Britain granting US access to use her military base for operation against Iran or even including and preparing to join the war alongside with the US and Israel, wining or loosing the war against Tehran will not save UK from becoming a target of the Islamic Republic retaliations.
For the Iranian nuclear program that has been the bone of contention and wars, Washington gave Saudi Arabia go ahead for the civilian nuclear program and Uranium enrichment.
