Iran bets on long war to exhaust US and Israel

Iran is relying on a strategy of endurance and economic disruption in its ongoing confrontation with the United States and Israel, hoping a prolonged

Iran is relying on a strategy of endurance and economic disruption in its ongoing confrontation with the United States and Israel, hoping a prolonged conflict will weaken Washington’s resolve and shift the balance of power in the region.

According to officials and analysts familiar with Tehran’s thinking, Iranian leaders believe they cannot defeat their adversaries through conventional military strength. Instead, they aim to stretch the conflict into a grinding war of attrition by intensifying missile and drone attacks while threatening critical energy infrastructure across the Gulf.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) has taken firm control of the war effort. The powerful military organisation is directing battlefield operations, executing contingency plans prepared long before the conflict erupted, and deciding strategic targets.

Despite the loss of senior figures during the opening phase of the US-Israeli strikes, the Guards appear to have consolidated their authority. Iranian insiders say the organisation played a decisive role in elevating Mojtaba Khamenei as the country’s new supreme leader following the death of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in the initial attacks.

Analysts say Iranian leaders view the conflict as a struggle for survival. They believe the future of the Islamic Republic is at stake and that the country must be ready for an all-out confrontation.

This mindset has driven Tehran to expand strikes across the Gulf region. Energy installations and shipping routes have increasingly become targets as Iran seeks to create economic pressure on regional states and global markets.

Officials say the goal is to raise the political and financial costs of the war for the United States, its allies, and energy-dependent economies in Europe and Asia.

US President Donald Trump told Republican lawmakers that the military campaign would continue until Iran is decisively defeated. He also predicted that the conflict could end soon, claiming Iran would be left without the ability to threaten the United States, Israel, or their allies once the operation concludes.

However, Iranian strategists appear prepared for a long confrontation. Sources in Tehran say military planners anticipated a clash with Washington and Israel and had already developed a layered strategy involving missile forces, drones, and regional allies.

Now that the conflict has entered its second week, Iran appears determined to implement that plan and transform the war into a prolonged struggle designed to exhaust its opponents politically and economically.

At the same time, the internal balance of power inside Iran is shifting. The appointment of Mojtaba Khamenei is widely seen as evidence of the growing influence of the Revolutionary Guards, who are now regarded as the main power brokers in the country.