While Donald Trump says his Iran War is a small potatoes ‘Conflict’?
That war/conflict IS on going and HAS tired out the US military contingent deployed to Middle East….
And?
It IS cost American lives and injuries, Billions of dollars and a TON of political ‘hurt’ for Republicans….
Oh?
Did I forget the PRICE Americans and others ARE paying in gas/oil purchases?
The Iranians HAVE moved to what is called Asymmetrical Warfare….
You fight your enemy on YOUR terms at anyplace you can find a weakness….
Hegseth and Trump boasted about ‘bombing’ Iran to win….
THAT has NOT worked….
Instead?
Iran IS causing Trump & Co. pain and humiliation…..
And NO new friends…
“Small War’?
Yes Donald…
One that has you by the ankle and won’t let go…..
In the case of Israel ?
Is Iran going after Israel for their actions in Lebanon?
NY Times….
A More Confident Iran Emerges After Six Months of War With the U.S.
Iran has grown more confident in its ability to attack targets in the Middle East and appears determined to continue the conflict for months to frustrate the United States, according to U.S. intelligence reports in recent weeks.
In many respects, the assessments reflect what has been observable on the ground as fighting erupted again after a period of relative calm. In the past week, Iran targeted ships in the Strait of Hormuz and American troops in the region, and U.S. forces struck inside Iran, killing military personnel and civilians.
The new exchanges have been limited so far. But the intelligence reports, according to people who have read them, suggest that Iran’s hard-line government might be contemplating a significant escalation.
Iran has emerged from months of the on-again, off-again war with a far better understanding of its military strengths and is more sure of its capabilities …
…
In the coming weeks, Iran could take actions akin to what it did in July, according to U.S. officials. At that time, Iran attacked American military bases in the Middle East, killing three Americans in Jordan; struck shipping in the Strait of Hormuz; and struck infrastructure in Kuwait and elsewhere.
U.S. officials also believe that Iran-linked hackers were most likely responsible for cyberattacks on more than 100 water systemsthroughout the United States in late July. Though there were no indications any system was degraded in a way that made water unsafe to drink, the attacks in some cases led to disruptions that required manual overrides and precautionary boil-water advisories.
Current and former officials said the hackers have also shown interest in attacking American oil and gas infrastructure, though those systems are generally seen as harder to penetrate. It is not clear whether any energy systems have been breached….
…
Others briefed on the reports said Iran probably believes that the U.S. military will be hard pressed to mount major new strikes as its munitions stockpiles dwindle.
And there are signs that Iran is intent to drag out the conflict until at least the midterms, current and former officials said.
Iran, according to officials, understands that the war — and the high gas prices that closing the strait has caused — is politically damaging to Mr. Trump and the Republican Party.
“The Iranians think they have maximum leverage,” said Representative Josh Gottheimer, Democrat of New Jersey. “So, from their perspective, why not keep sticking it to the president?”
There are indications that Iran is seeking to spread propaganda that would undermine Mr. Trump electorally, as it did during the 2020 and 2024 presidential elections….
- The Iranian Artesh conducted a missile and drone attack targeting US bases in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates on September 3, likely as part of the regime’s efforts to raise the costs of the US campaign against Iran. The latest Iranian strikes bear some similarity to a recent Iranian attack on Jordan that some Iranian military officials have claimed is reflective of a new Iranian targeting doctrine that reportedly includes preemptive strikes against US military assets in the region.
- The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) announced on September 3 that it cleared a major Hezbollah underground facility beneath the Ali al Taher Ridge in Nabatieh District after a months-long siege. Ali al Taher occupies advantageous terrain overlooking the Litani River and the neighboring Houla Valley, which enabled Hezbollah to target Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and civilian settlements in northern Israel.
- ISW-CTP is considering three possible Iranian courses of action against Israel in response to the assault on Ali al Taher: a large-scale missile and drone attack, a limited and “symbolic” attack, and no military response. Iranian officials reportedly warned the United States in mid-August 2026 that Iran would respond to any offensive to seize the Ali al Taher facility with a “large-scale attack” on Israel, according to unspecified regional sources speaking to Reuters. All courses of action rely upon the assumption that the reporting about the Iranian warning is accurate.
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