US-Israel Conflict with Iran Predicted to Last Until October

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran is set to continue until October 2027, according to Binus University International Relations expert Dinna Prapto Raharja. The impact of this conflict is widening across the Middle East, with Israeli strikes on Lebanon. “In my view, looking at Israel’s power map, the war will last until October… until the next Israeli election,” Dinna said when contacted by ANTARA on Wednesday. She argued that Israel will continue its military offensive against the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, an ally of Iran, to pressure Tel Aviv and Washington’s interests. “Israel wants to raze Beirut as a symbol of Lebanon’s fall,” Dinna stated. Meanwhile, Dinna noted that US-Iran peace negotiations mediated by Pakistan would struggle to reach an agreement because the warring parties “have not yet reached the point of saturation to pursue options other than military intervention”. Dinna highlighted the deadlock in the talks, with each side failing to meet the other’s demands for a peace agreement. “Iran feels it is not that weak, while America does not account for Iran’s strength. US ammunition is also depleting because the war has been going on for 100 days and they have not been able to resupply their weapons,” she said. The Synergy Policies international relations practitioner also believes that Iran will not halt its nuclear programme, as demanded by the US. “The nuclear issue is the longest and toughest negotiation. Precisely because Israel is becoming more aggressive in Lebanon and Middle Eastern countries, Iran is increasingly unwilling to abandon its nuclear programme,” she explained. On the other hand, the US has so far frozen billions of dollars in Iranian assets in various countries and imposed sanctions on Tehran, even though Iran demands the release of these assets as a primary condition for resolving the conflict. The two countries are also still feuding over the Strait of Hormuz—a strategic shipping lane through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply passes—triggering a global energy crisis. “I think the situation is still deadlocked at the negotiating table, so the process is still very long,” said Dinna. “Difficult, a peace deal is still far off,” she added.