Nobody announces a forever war. They just start talking about “periodic strikes.”
Axios reports the U.S. is considering repeatedly hitting Iranian radar, air defenses and anti-ship capabilities to prevent Tehran from rebuilding its ability to threaten shipping through Hormuz.
To Trita Parsi, that language gives the game away.
If America must bomb Iran every few weeks or months simply to keep the situation manageable, then Washington no longer has a strategy for ending the war.
It has a strategy for maintaining it.
And the remarkable part is how quickly Washington got here.
Barely 10 days ago, the new plan was economic warfare: squeeze Iran, keep the shooting quiet and wait until after the midterms.
Now military strikes are back on the table.
Parsi calls it “complete strategic disarray.”
The bigger danger is that Tehran appears to be reaching its own conclusion.
Parsi says Iranian officials increasingly expect a third round of war anyway and are debating whether Iran should strike first rather than once again allowing Washington to choose the timing.
Both sides now think they have the advantage.
Neither appears interested in compromise.
And Parsi says regional leaders increasingly believe the diplomatic path is closed.
An off-ramp? Rather two countries arguing over who gets to start the next round.
@tparsi
