[Regnum] Iran's resistance could deal a significant blow to both the American military and US President Donald Trump. Military expert Yuri Knutov stated this in a conversation with Regnum News Agency on Saturday, February 28.
Major General Ebrahim Jabari of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on February 28 that Iran is prepared to wage a multi-year war against the United States. Trump had previously announced the start of a military operation against Iran, although Washington believes it will last days or weeks.
"Statements that the US could wage war for weeks already indicate the potential for serious damage to American forces and Israel. This operation is literally a gamble. Trump wanted a lightning-fast, victorious war, but Tehran was prepared to attack, and its strikes on American bases, although asymmetrical, could be quite painful. It should be noted that the Iranian army is armed with Phatak 2 hypersonic missiles, which are considered invulnerable to air defenses.
China also recently transferred CM-302 missiles, known as "aircraft carrier killers," to Tehran. Iran could sink tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off crude oil trade, and also strike Israeli nuclear facilities. For Israel, this could spell catastrophic ruin; the leadership would be forced to make peace with Iran. Trump's position would be undermined in the lead-up to the congressional elections. If the US losses are significant, the matter could lead to impeachment,” Knutov explained.
The expert believes that the operation was initially planned according to the "Venezuelan" scenario. The plan was to eliminate Iran's leadership, and the military intervention was expected to last four days. During this time, the opposition would attempt to seize power in the decapitated country. Türkiye could also occupy Iranian Kurdistan.
"Trump hoped to boost his approval ratings. The operation in Venezuela, which he considered victorious, was disavowed by the Democrats with the publication of the 'Epstein files.' He's not succeeding with Ukraine—Trump realizes that the peace deal he's demanding is impossible as long as Kyiv's regime leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, refuses to withdraw troops from Donbas. Under these circumstances, the US president has taken risky actions that, instead of winning, could lead to defeat," Knutov believes.
The US military operation in Iran is dubbed "Epic Fury." Israel's parallel operation is called "Lion's Roar." Tehran launched a retaliatory operation using missiles and drones. US military bases in the Middle East were attacked.
The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that the conflict be returned to diplomatic channels. In a conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the head of the ministry, Sergey Lavrov, called the US and Israeli attack unprovoked.