US: Iran War Not “Endless”
The United States insists the conflict with Iran will not degenerate into a “never-ending” war, even as airstrikes enter their third day and their impact continues to spread across the Middle East and shake energy markets. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth rejected the idea of a protracted war, calling the operation a “clear, devastating, and decisive” mission.
At a Pentagon press conference, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said the US military had established “local air superiority.” President Donald Trump also stated that the operation was proceeding “slightly ahead of schedule,” despite previously estimating the campaign could last about four weeks—and he hinted that a major wave of attacks was still to come.
Iran continued to launch missiles at several countries in the Middle East in response to the attack that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei over the weekend. Explosions were reported in several regions, while disruptions spread to the transportation and energy sectors: oil prices spiked, airlines suspended flights, and operations at the world’s busiest airports were affected.
Military-wise, the US reported casualties. Central Command reported fatalities and serious injuries among US personnel. The US also reported a downing of a fighter jet in Kuwait, suspected to be related to "friendly fire." Meanwhile, Israel expanded operations to Beirut after facing attacks from Hezbollah in southern Lebanon.
In the energy market, attention is focused on the Strait of Hormuz. Tanker traffic is said to have nearly halted, raising concerns about disrupting supply flows from the Gulf region. At the same time, reports of disruptions at energy facilities have emerged: QatarEnergy suspended LNG production at the world's largest export facility after a military attack, while operations at Saudi Arabia's largest refinery were reportedly disrupted by a drone attack.
In the diplomatic realm, there have been mixed signals. Trump has said he is willing to talk to Iran's new leadership, but Iranian security official Ali Larijani has denied that Tehran will negotiate with the US. Iran is now racing to determine a new supreme leader; an Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman expressed hope that a successor could be chosen in the coming days.
Source: Newsmaker.id
