Contradictory statements by U.S. President Donald Trump and the Pentagon are forcing Washington’s allies, American lawmakers, and markets to guess how and when the war with Iran will end, reports Axios.
Source: Gazeta.UA
On March 9, Trump told Republicans that the U.S. had already won the war, but “not enough,” while earlier in an interview with CBS, he said the operation against Iran was practically over. At the same time, Defense Secretary Pete Hegset announced the continuation of intensive strikes. One of the main goals of Operation “Epic Fury” was to destroy Iran’s nuclear program. Before hostilities began, the U.S. and Iran held three rounds of indirect talks in Geneva, but Washington concluded that Tehran was not serious about the agreement.
Trump allows for the resumption of negotiations but is critical of the appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei, the son of the eliminated Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Iran’s new Supreme Leader. On the eve of the operation, intermediaries from Oman reported that Iran had agreed not to stockpile enriched uranium, but now the future of negotiations remains uncertain.
Experts highlight several possible scenarios:
Regime collapse: Economic crisis and mass protests could lead to a popular uprising, but the Iranian opposition does not have a single leader.
Special operation against nuclear stockpiles: The U.S. and Israel considered a special forces raid to destroy highly enriched uranium, which would require deploying troops into the country.
Declaration of victory: Trump may claim a “historic victory” if Iran’s missile and drone capabilities are sufficiently weakened, which could positively impact markets ahead of the midterm elections.
Trump also warned that the rise of the “wrong leader” in Iran could force the U.S. back into war in five years. In addition, Israel plays a key role in concluding the operation, stating it is ready to eliminate the nuclear threat independently.
As Axios notes, the war with Iran began almost without warning and could end just as unexpectedly.
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