NYT: US intelligence sees Iran ready to prolong the conflict

Iran has become increasingly confident in its ability to strike targets across the Middle East and appears prepared to prolong the conflict for months in an effort to complicate the United States’ position, according to US intelligence assessments compiled in recent weeks.

The assessments largely mirror developments already visible on the ground, as hostilities have resumed following a period of relative calm, The New York Times (NYT) reports.

Over the past week, Iran has targeted vessels in the Strait of Hormuz as well as US troops stationed in the region, while American forces have carried out strikes inside Iran, killing both military personnel and civilians.

Although the latest exchanges have remained limited so far, people familiar with the intelligence reports said they point to the possibility that Iran’s hard-line leadership could be considering a major escalation of the conflict.

According to officials briefed on the assessments, Iran has emerged from months of intermittent fighting with a much clearer understanding of its military capabilities and greater confidence in its ability to use them effectively.

Several current and former US officials said the reports indicate that reaching an agreement to bring the war to a full end could prove particularly difficult. 

There are also few indications that Tehran is prepared to pursue any kind of agreement with Washington, with some officials saying Iran may instead seek to deepen President Donald Trump’s political difficulties ahead of the US midterm elections, the report added.

By Jeyhun Aghazada