US and Israels Escalating Conflict Raises Questions About Trumps Iran Strategy

US-Led Strikes in Iran Enter Second Week, Shifting Goals Remain Unclear

The United States, along with Israel, launched a military operation against Iran on February 28, marking the beginning of a conflict that has now entered its second week. Since then, nearly 2,000 targets have been struck in Iran, resulting in the elimination of several high-ranking officials, including former Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

The US President, Donald Trump, has articulated shifting goals throughout the operation. On February 28, the strikes targeted Khamenei, who had led Iran as supreme leader for 37 years and previously served as president. The Trump administration’s actions appear to have been aimed at getting the current Iranian establishment to collapse, according to experts.

The attacks have also targeted nuclear facilities, civilian areas, and critical infrastructure such as oil refineries and a desalination plant. Iran has retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and thousands of drones targeting Israel and Gulf neighbors. The US and Israeli attacks have resulted in over 1,200 Iranian casualties, including more than 160 children killed when a school was bombed.

Seven American soldiers have also died in the conflict. Trump’s messaging on the operation has oscillated between dealmaking and destruction, with him calling on members of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to lay down their arms in exchange for immunity and later asking Iranian diplomats to switch sides.

However, the IRGC has been leading Iran’s counteroffensive against the US and Israel, and also driving Iran’s attacks on other Gulf countries. Iranian diplomats have rebuffed Trump’s offer, insisting that they remain committed to their role as representatives of the Islamic Republic.

The new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, was announced by Iran on Sunday, following the death of his father. Experts argue that the US may have underestimated Iran’s resilience and staying power in a long, drawn-out war. The conflict remains unclear, with shifting goals and contradictory positions articulated by Trump and his administration.

As the operation continues, it is unclear what Washington’s endgame is or how the conflict will be resolved.

Source: Al Jazeera