Tehran could continue the conflict with the United States until the end of President Donald Trump’s term in office, in January 2029, an Iranian high-ranking military official (IRGC) said.
Mohammad Reza Naqdi, a general in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and one of the top aides to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, says that in an interview with the US-based broadcasters PBS.
Iran Seeks to Establish Deterrence
The goal of Iran is to convey to potential enemies that an attack on Iran would be costly, Naqdi said. The longer Iran’s conflict continues the more knowledge the Iranian forces are getting about the U.S. and what the U.S. military can do,” he said.
However, when asked if Iran had the means to possibly extend the war beyond Trump’s tenure, Naqdi claimed this could be one way to build up deterrence and attrition. The plan would be to make future U.S. administrations or any other prospective attackers on Iran pause and think twice before launching another strike on Iran, he argued.
Conflict started with US-Israeli strikes
The ongoing confrontation erupted following this week’s joint raids by the U.S. and Israel on Iran on Feb. 28, the report said.
Several senior Iranian officials, including the then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, were killed in the attacks. They were then followed by Iranian attacks against U.S. and Israeli property throughout the Middle East, thereby increasing tensions throughout the region.
IRGC General Warns Against Nuclear Strike
Naqdi has also commented on the potential for the United States using a nuclear weapon in the conflict. The IRGC commander pointed out that America’s military bases in all parts of the world may be targets of such action.
He had pointed out that the world is not what it was during World War II and that a nuclear attack would generate discussion and opposition throughout the world. Naqdi’s remarks follow ongoing tensions between Tehran and Washington but a potential for a protracted war remains a key worry for the broader Middle East.