With the U.S. and Israel continuing their assault on Iran, Americans are asking, what’s next and how long will this last?
Democratic analyst Michael Kelly told KMOX Radio in St. Louis that he believes the country is in for a drawn-out battle in the Middle East.
“I don’t see this just turning into a situation where a week from now we’re humming right along,” he said. “I think we’re going to live with the consequences of these actions for several years to come.”
Kelly said he can’t recall any other Middle East conflict the U.S. has been involved in that’s run a short course. His biggest fear is a long-term global conflict.
“We have a politically desperate president who campaigned on doing the exact opposite of what he’s doing throughout the world. And I do believe there’s political motivation behind it because he’s afraid he’s going to lose the House and the Senate,” Kelly said. “I’m worried about the start of World War III.”
Republican analyst John Hancock is concerned the Trump administration doesn’t have all of its I’s dotted and T’s crossed.
“We hope and pray for the best outcome here, but I don’t know that the preparation for this thing doesn’t seem to me to have been particularly thorough,” he said.
Hancock said there’s also the issue of installing a new regime in a terrorist country, calling it a laudable but time-consuming goal.
“I don’t think you’re going to achieve regime change with airstrikes alone,” he said. “It’s never happened in the history of modern warfare.”
Meanwhile, an international relations expert at Webster University says the U.S.-Israeli campaign in Iran could lead to a violent power-struggle within that Islamic republic. Professor Dani Belo told KMOX Radio that for now it seems the existing regime is still in power.
“If that regime becomes less stable, then there are many factions that could take power and potentially leading to severe and even violent clashes between them,” he said.
Belo also questions whether the military campaign in Iran could impact America’s relationships with European allies.
“We have to keep in mind that Iran’s missiles can reach Europe at this point,” he said.
Belo added that’s led the United Kingdom to align more closely with the U.S. and Israel. He also warned that the U.S. needs to be alert to violence from groups sympathetic to Iran.
“After the death of the Ayatollah Khamenei, we’ve heard those sympathies coming to light,” he said. “And absolutely, we should be aware of what’s happening outside of the region.”
The military conflict is already having an economic impact, as oil and gas prices begin to rise.
KMOX Radio contributed this report
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