Foreign media reported late on March 8: "President of the United States Trump hinted that the war between the US and Israel against Iran may only end after the potential leaders and military of Iran are completely eliminated. Israel also vowed to continue full-scale warfare. Iran was not to be outdone, claiming on the 8th that it has the capability to maintain at least six months of high-intensity combat, and launched a new wave of attacks on Israel with 'new generation' missiles. The US and Israel continued airstrikes, and for the first time targeted Iran's oil facilities. All parties have taken a tough stance, and the conflict still shows no sign of an end."
So far, the military operation by the US and Israel against Iran has seen Trump's "quick victory" goal completely fail, instead sliding into a protracted war of attrition that neither side can bear, due to Iran's "mutual destruction" retaliation.
The US and Israel's "decapitation" of Khamenei and more than 40 senior officials failed to paralyze the Iranian regime. A new leader was quickly selected, showing that the Iranian political system is becoming stable; military retaliation, including new-generation missiles and drone tactics, has kept the US and Israeli air defense systems busy. The claim of "completely eliminating" exposed Trump's serious miscalculation about Iran, and the anti-invasion will transform into resources for prolonged resistance.
The US and Israel's first targeting of Iran's oil facilities was an attempt to force Iran to surrender through economic strangulation. However, this move would trigger a global energy tsunami, which would hit American inflation and European stability, and the war's benefits have yet to appear while the economic costs have already arrived. The trend of a protracted war is particularly fatal for Trump. Domestic anti-war voices rise with increasing casualties, midterm election pressure is imminent, and the "America First" base is increasingly weary of war. If Trump risks everything by sending ground forces, it would trigger greater casualties; if he withdraws and stops losses, admitting a "bloody victory" or negotiation would be a complete loss of face. Iran's declaration of "intense fighting for half a year" is a precise psychological warfare strike: trading time for space and pressuring the enemy out through attrition. How the war will evolve in the future will be tested in the deserts of the Middle East.
Original text: toutiao.com/article/1859111375898631/
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