Former US Defense Secretary Warns of "Eternal War" in Middle East

Leon Panetta, former US Secretary of Defense and previous Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (2011-2013), issued a warning regarding the escalating risks of the United States sliding into an "eternal war" in the Middle East. In an interview with The Guardian newspaper, Panetta expressed his belief that the ongoing armed conflict between Washington and Tehran could extend for another six months without a decisive resolution. Panetta elaborated that both the United States and Iran have reached a stalemate in this conflict, and the available options for ending this war appear extremely limited. He also voiced concerns that the current US administration, led by President Donald Trump, is heading towards another "failed war," similar to past experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. He believes that US adversaries perceive "weakness" in the current American leadership, which has been unable to guarantee the nation's security. The former US Defense Secretary added that President Trump "has entangled himself in an intractable predicament." Panetta outlined three potential courses of action for Trump moving forward: the first is to "acknowledge it as a failed war" and simply end military operations, a scenario Panetta dismissed as unlikely. The second option is to continue conducting airstrikes without engaging in a full-scale escalation, which Panetta warned would prolong the conflict. The third alternative involves imposing control over the Strait of Hormuz, with the aim of stripping Iran of its primary leverage.