There are reports circulating in the world media that the US will resort to military operations against Iran, meaning that an actual US-Iran war will begin. The "New York Times" even reported that military strikes could be carried out against Iran within two days. According to the publication, Washington has sharply increased pressure on Tehran, and if the nuclear talks fail, military operations could start within the next two days. The newspaper writes that various scenarios are being discussed around President Donald Trump – ranging from precise strikes on nuclear facilities to attacks on Iran's military and state infrastructures.
US Naval and Air Force units have already been deployed to the region. According to the press, Iran has sent warnings through intermediaries that it is ready for dialogue but will respond harshly in case of a possible attack. Against this background, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has proposed holding a trilateral summit – including the US, Iran, and Turkey – possibly in video conference format. According to Turkish sources, Washington has responded positively to this initiative.
In a statement to Medianews.az regarding the issue, political analyst Oqtay Qasımov said that the risk of military confrontation between the US and Iran is quite high: "However, diplomatic channels have not yet been completely closed. Two days ago, during a phone call between the presidents of Turkey and the US, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan proposed trilateral talks to the US side. This was fundamentally positively received. But in general, if we pay attention to the speech of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in the Senate yesterday, the risk of escalation is quite high. It appears that both sides have not entirely closed the door to resolving the issue through negotiations. If the US, specifically Donald Trump, chooses the military option, I think he intends to strike certain targets with precise blows in the shortest possible time. It is said that specific targets have also been identified for this."
The analyst emphasized that no ground operations can be discussed here: "Because this would be a large-scale war and could lead to unpredictable consequences overall. Iran's territory is quite large. The territorial depth is a factor that seriously hinders the conduct of ground operations. Presumably, air strikes, including precise missile strikes, will be considered the main priority, and the US will aim to resolve this in the shortest possible time, within a few days. But will such a short-term operation produce the results Washington desires? This remains a serious question. Iran has a ballistic missile arsenal, as well as drones, newly acquired air defense systems, and fighter jets. These factors can hinder and slow down US operations."
In my opinion, the US aims to achieve results with short-term precise strikes, while Iran's plan, if such an operation starts, is first to prevent it and simultaneously expand the scale of the war, targeting American bases in the region, primarily Israel. In any case, I think that the parties are still trying to achieve a possible agreement through negotiations. However, let us not forget that the four main demands put forward by the US, especially the cessation of Iran's nuclear program and the limitation of ballistic missile production, are not warmly received by Iran."
Naile Qasımova,
Medianews.az
