Former United States Secretary of Defence Leon Panetta has predicted\nthat the war between the United States and Iran is likely to continue\nfor at least the next six months. The statement comes amid a conflict\nwidely regarded as having reached a stalemate after an initial ceasefire\nplan failed to materialise.<\/p>\n
Six months after the joint US-Israel strikes on Iran, diplomatic\nefforts to return the peace process to its track have shown very little\nprogress. Negotiations are reported to have been stalled since June.<\/p>\n
Panetta, who served as Secretary of Defence under President Barack\nObama and once led the CIA, warned that the war under Donald Trump\u2019s\nadministration risks becoming another \u2018forever war\u2019 in the Middle\nEast.<\/p>\n
\u2018It is no longer a secret that the United States and Iran are trapped\nin a terrible deadlock. In truth, there are only a few options available\nto end this war,\u2019 Panetta said in an interview with The Guardian.<\/p>\n
He added that the war is highly likely to continue for another six\nmonths without any resolution. Panetta also highlighted reports of\ninternal tensions within the Pentagon which, in his view, weaken the US\nposition in the eyes of the world.<\/p>\n
\u2018Whether it is Iran or our other enemies, they are now looking at the\nUnited States and seeing weakness in our ability to actually deploy\nmilitary capability in defence of the nation,\u2019 he asserted. \u2018What\nworries me is that we are sending a message of weakness to our principal\nenemies.\u2019<\/p>\n
Panetta\u2019s remarks come as Iran declared it would step up efforts to\ncounter the economic problems triggered by US sanctions. On the\nbattlefield, tensions continue to escalate. US Central Command reported\nstriking three Iranian tankers on Saturday (5\/9\/2026), after Iran\u2019s\nIslamic Revolutionary Guard Corps launched ballistic missiles at two US\nnaval vessels.<\/p>\n
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf affirmed on Sunday\n(6\/9\/2026) that the United States must understand the rules of\nengagement in the war against Iran have changed. \u2018From now on, every\nattack on Iran\u2019s interests and security will receive a faster, heavier\nand more painful response,\u2019 Qalibaf said.<\/p>\n
Although Iran has attempted to blockade the Strait of Hormuz, US\nEnergy Secretary Chris Wright stated that oil continues to flow through\nthe waterway. According to data as of 6 September 2026, transit through\nthe strait averages more than 9 million barrels per day.<\/p>\n
Wright claimed that with access pipelines bypassing the strait, the\ncurrent oil flow has reached two-thirds or more of pre-conflict volumes.\n\u2018Iran is still causing problems, but the United States Navy is winning\nthat battle,\u2019 he told CNN.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/leon-panetta-predicts-us-iran-war-will-continue-for-another-six-months-1788792653", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }