Trump’s war in Iran could drag on for another six months, former US defense secretary Leon Panetta warns | Today’s news

Former US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta has warned that President Donald Trump’s war with Iran could continue for another six months, sparking fears that the conflict could turn into another prolonged US military engagement in the Middle East.

Panetta said the US and Iran were in a “terrible stalemate” with few options available to end the conflict.

“I think it’s likely that this war will continue for another six months without being resolved,” Panetta told The Guardian.

Panetta, who also served as CIA director under former President Barack Obama, warned that the conflict risks becoming another “perpetual war in the Middle East” and could end up resembling the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Panetta: Trump is ‘boxed’

Panetta believes, according to news reports Trump he faces the same dilemma he identified earlier this year: either escalate the conflict or find a way to withdraw while claiming victory.

“He boxed himself in,” Panetta said, arguing that the president has limited options to end the war without appearing to have failed.

Panetta outlined three possible paths for Trump.

The first would be to withdraw and admit the war has failed — an outcome Panetta said he can hardly imagine Trump accepting.

The second would be to allow the current stalemate to continue, with periodic attacks from both sides, and neither Washington nor Tehran willing to negotiate or give up.

That, Panetta warned, could result in exactly what the parties were trying to avoid — another protracted Middle East war.

A third option would be for the US to take control of the Strait of Hormuz, which Panetta identified as Iran’s most important point of leverage because of its ability to disrupt global trade.

“Open the Strait of Hormuz”

Panetta said the war could become “winnable” for the US only if Washington dramatically changed its approach and made reopening the Strait of Hormuz its primary goal.

“It can only be won if there is a dramatic change in the attitude of the United States that makes it clear that the goal, the primary goal of the United States at this point, is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz,” he told the media.

The former defense secretary argued that Iran’s ability to close or disrupt the strategic waterway gives Tehran significant leverage over the US and the global economy.

“So the president is either going to come out and do what’s necessary to open the Strait of Hormuz or, as I said, he’s going to continue to play this game of pretending that he’s somehow winning the stalemate when he’s not,” Panetta said.

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Panetta questions Trump’s credibility

Panetta also criticized Trump for repeatedly saying that a deal to end the war was imminent and that the Strait of Hormuz was open.

He argued that the statements damaged the president’s credibility and weakened the impact of future threats.

“So the real question is, will he decide to actually deliver?” Panetta said, according to The Guardian.

“For a lot of reasons, he’s caught in the worst of every world right now because not only does he have no credibility, but any threats he makes are completely ignored.”

Panetta said he believed many Americans had also lost faith in Trump’s ability to handle the conflict, pointing to polls he said showed growing opposition to the war.

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The Pentagon denies claims of unrest

Panetta’s comments came just days after US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll resigned amid reports of tension with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over a series of Pentagon layoffs.

Panetta said U.S. troops are going to war while facing “tremendous confusion” at the Pentagon and within the military command structure.

“It creates a feeling that no one is in charge here,” Panetta said.

He warned that America’s adversaries, including China, Russia, North Korea and terrorist groups, could interpret the turmoil as a sign of American weakness.

“My biggest concern is that we live in a very dangerous world with primary threats from China, Russia, North Korea and terrorism and yes, Iran as well,” he said.

Panetta added that the situation risks sending a “message of weakness” to America’s adversaries.

USS Abraham Lincoln deployment warning

Panetta also raised concerns about the treatment of US military personnel involved in the Iran conflict.

He pointed to the lengthy deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in Thailand after spending more than 260 days deployed in support of US operations against Iran without a port visit.

The reports raised concerns about the deteriorating living conditions and mental health of the staff on board.

Panetta said the Pentagon needs to learn from the deployment and ensure troops are not left in war zones indefinitely.

“Bottom line, you can’t deploy people indefinitely into a war zone without making some sort of rotation plans,” he said.

Panetta argued that the problems go beyond the battlefield and said there are growing concerns about whether the U.S. military is doing enough to support soldiers who are putting their lives on the line.

“So it’s not just that the war is going wrong – I think there’s also a lack of confidence in our military that it’s properly supporting our men and women who are putting their lives on the line,” he said.

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