The Iran war shifts to economic battle: A growing quagmire for the US

Editor's note: Wang Jin is the director of the Center for Strategic Studies at Northwest University, a special researcher for Beijing Club for International Dialogue and an expert on the Middle East.

The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Tensions between the United States and Iran have remained high in recent months.

The United States has not only continued to exert significant pressure on Iran and sought to maintain a prolonged state of military confrontation with Tehran, but has also gradually intensified economic sanctions and pressure in an effort to compel Iran to make concessions.

Recent statements by the Trump administration indicate that the strategic confrontation between the United States and Iran is becoming increasingly protracted.

This ongoing rivalry is also likely to contribute to profound changes in the geopolitical landscape of the Middle East.

Military means alone not enough to compel Iran Although the US has maintained a relatively low-profile posture towards Iran, the methods through which it exerts pressure on Tehran are quietly changing.

After nearly half a year of intense conflict and confrontation, the United States has gradually recognized that military means alone are insufficient to force the Iranian government to change course or compel Iran to make major concessions on key issues such as the nuclear issue and the Strait of Hormuz.

It is increasingly difficult for Washington to achieve its strategic objectives solely through military means.

At the same time, the US is unlikely to sustain indefinitely the high costs associated with maintaining military operations around Iran.

The US carrier strike groups deployed in the vicinity of Iran have already experienced extended operational deployments, while US inventories of air-defense missiles have been significantly depleted, potentially limiting Washington's ability to sustain a high-intensity war over an extended period.

Meanwhile, Iranian attacks on US military bases in the Middle East, together with Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, have caused the regional conflict to expand and escalate rapidly.

These developments have not only caused further disruption to the global economy but have also affected the US economy itself.

Against this backdrop, the US and its Middle Eastern allies can no longer rely solely on military means to achieve their strategic objectives.