US President Donald Trump’s war with Iran could continue for another six months, former US defence secretary Leon Panetta warned, adding that the fighting could turn into another “forever war in the Middle East”.
fighting has continued at intervals as both sides seek to pressure each other through military action and economic measures, while peace talks have collapsed Although a ceasefire was announced in June. Military action had largely paused through much of July, but fresh tit-for-tat attacks have since taken place. The war began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran .
In an interview with The Guardian, Panetta said he expects the conflict to last for at least another six months and warned that it could become another “forever war in the Middle East”, as there is still no clear path towards an end to the fighting. He said the conflict could also follow the path of “another failed war” in West Asia, “like Iraq and Afghanistan”. Panetta said Trump has three possible paths ahead. The first is to step back and “admit that it’s a failed war”, though Panetta said he finds it hard to imagine Trump taking that route. The third possibility, according to Panetta, is for the US to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz and take away Iran’s “most dangerous leverage point” over Washington, “which is the ability to close and disrupt” the key route used for global trade.
Recently, the US Central Command said it struck three Iranian tankers on Saturday after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps ( IRGC ) fired ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.
