The United States has resumed strikes on Iran after a month-long pause, in an escalation that has drawn deep concern from security analyst Samir Puri.
Puri, a lecturer in war studies at King’s College London, said the renewed strikes are highly troubling. “It’s extremely worrying, because Iran’s counterstrikes are proving clearly precise and effective. And more than six months after the United States and Israel began their campaign, Iran still has the capacity to keep striking back,” he said.
“There’s no sign that Iran is running out of weapons or ammunition,” Puri said. “If anything, the signs suggest the United States wants to force Iran into a series of visible concessions. So there is a real risk the conflict could intensify further at this point.”
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Puri said US President Donald Trump’s messaging on how the six-month war might ultimately end has been “extremely confusing.”
He said this week’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, where China, Russia, India and other countries voiced support for Iran, showed that Tehran is “clearly not as isolated” internationally as it might appear.
“So I think, in this situation, the United States is in a state of deep confusion about its strategic goals,” Puri said.