Former US defence secretary warns Iran war could continue for six more months

Former US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has warned that the conflict between the United States and Iran could continue for another six months, potentially developing into a prolonged war in the Middle East.

Panetta, who served as defence secretary from 2011 to 2013 and previously headed the CIA, said in an interview with The Guardian that the conflict had reached a stalemate, with neither side having a clear path toward ending the fighting.

“It’s no mystery that the United States and Iran are caught in a terrible stalemate, in which there really are very few options available to bring this war to an end,” Panetta said.

He warned that the conflict could become “another failed war” in the Middle East, comparable to the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I think the likelihood is this war is going to continue for another six months without being resolved,” he added.

Panetta said US President Donald Trump had become politically constrained by the conflict and faced three main options.

The first would be to withdraw and “admit that it’s a failed war”, a step Panetta said he considered unlikely for Trump.

The second option would be to maintain the current stalemate, with both sides carrying out periodic retaliatory attacks while seeking to prevent the conflict from escalating into a larger war.

That approach, Panetta said, could result in “what all parties feared”: another prolonged war in the Middle East.

The third option, according to Panetta, would be for the United States to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, removing what he described as Iran’s “most dangerous leverage point” over the United States.

He said Iran's ability “to close and disrupt” the strategic waterway represents a major source of leverage over global trade.

By Sabina Mammadli