US allies expect Iran conflict may drag on
Photo: The US and its allies do not expect a quick resolution to the conflict with Iran (Getty Images)
The United States’ allies do not expect the conflict in the Middle East to be fully resolved until at least September, according to Axios.
According to advisers and aides to US President Donald Trump, the intensive military operation will conclude in early April, 4 to 6 weeks after it began.
But officials in Washington and allied countries are preparing for a much longer crisis. Three separate sources within the Trump administration and NATO countries believe that instability in the Middle East and US intervention in Iran could last until September, even if the war transitions into a low-intensity conflict.
Israel, for its part, told reporters that it plans at least three more weeks of attacks on thousands of additional targets in Iran.
Anna Kelly, deputy White House press secretary, emphasized that Operation Epic Fury is the result of many months of careful planning, noting that the President was given broad options and took into account the views of all his senior officials when making the final decision.
However, she declined to comment on the possible duration of hostilities in the Middle East.
Israel plans to continue its military campaign against Iran for at least another three weeks. Currently, thousands of targets remain to be struck.
Also recently, the WSJ, citing its sources, reported that some of Trump’s advisers have begun urging him to end the war against Iran. All of this has occurred against the backdrop of rising oil prices and concerns that a protracted war will negatively impact the situation in the context of the US congressional midterm elections.
At the same time, Donald Trump has already publicly stated that the US has effectively won the war against Iran. According to him, this allegedly happened in the very first hours of the operation.
