Iran has emerged from six months of war with the United States increasingly confident in its ability to strike targets across the Middle East, with new U.S. intelligence assessments indicating that Tehran believes it now has a much clearer understanding of both its own military capabilities and the limits of American power.

The assessments suggest Iran is prepared to prolong the conflict for months in an effort to frustrate Washington and could be considering a significant escalation, The New York Times reports. After months of intermittent fighting, U.S. officials believe Tehran has gained greater confidence in its military strengths and sees little reason to pursue an agreement with Washington to fully end the war.

Officials say Iran could again carry out attacks similar to those launched in July, when it targeted U.S. military bases across the Middle East, killing three Americans in Jordan, attacked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and struck infrastructure in Kuwait and elsewhere. U.S. officials also believe Iran-linked hackers were likely responsible for cyberattacks against more than 100 American water systems in late July. While the attacks did not make drinking water unsafe, some caused disruptions requiring manual intervention and precautionary boil-water advisories.

Iran is also believed to have developed a better understanding of the enormous leverage provided by the Strait of Hormuz, which carried roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil before the war. Rep. Jason Crow, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Iran has suffered substantial damage but retains stocks of missiles and drones, while its leadership has become more unified and internal opposition has been silenced.

Meanwhile, officials briefed on the intelligence believe Tehran may see dwindling U.S. munitions stockpiles as a constraint on Washington’s ability to launch major new strikes. Iran also appears intent on dragging the conflict out at least through the November midterm elections, calculating that the war and high gasoline prices caused by disruption in the Strait of Hormuz are politically damaging to President Trump and Republicans.

President Trump is currently not pursuing negotiations and believes intensified economic pressure can ultimately force Tehran to make concessions over the Strait of Hormuz and potentially its nuclear program. But officials who reviewed the intelligence assessments warn that, in the short term, additional U.S. sanctions could instead fuel further escalation.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)