Iran war to continue for 6 more months? Ex-US official's big warning, 3 ‘options’ for Trump

Former US defence secretary Leon Panetta said he expects the US-Iran war to last for at least another six months as there is still no clear path towards an end.

Updated on: Sep 6, 2026, 19:08:02 IST

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US President Donald Trump’s war with Iran could continue for another six months, former US defence secretary Leon Panetta warned, adding that the fighting could turn into another “forever war in the Middle East”.

The war began on February 28, when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran. Although a ceasefire was announced in June, fighting has continued at intervals as both sides seek to pressure each other through military action and economic measures, while peace talks have collapsed.

US-Iran war to drag on for 6 more months?

In an interview with The Guardian, Panetta said he expects the conflict to last for at least another six months and warned that it could become another “forever war in the Middle East”, as there is still no clear path towards an end to the fighting.

“It’s no mystery that the United States and Iran are caught in a terrible stalemate, in which there really are very few options available to bring this war to an end,” he told the publication.

He said the conflict could also follow the path of “another failed war” in West Asia, “like Iraq and Afghanistan”.

“I think the likelihood is this war is going to continue for another six months without being resolved,” he added.

Trump has 3 options: Leon Panetta

Panetta said Trump has three possible paths ahead. The first is to step back and “admit that it’s a failed war”, though Panetta said he finds it hard to imagine Trump taking that route.

The second option would be to let the present “stalemate, with periodic attacks going back and forth, tit for tat” continue. In this situation, both countries would try to “avoid the startup of a more dangerous war” while neither side agrees to talks or gives in.

The third possibility, according to Panetta, is for the US to seize control of the Strait of Hormuz and take away Iran’s “most dangerous leverage point” over Washington, “which is the ability to close and disrupt” the key route used for global trade.

US-Iran war drags on

Six months on from the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, there is little sign of a breakthrough in the conflict.

Military action had largely paused through much of July, but fresh tit-for-tat attacks have since taken place. Recently, the US Central Command said it struck three Iranian tankers on Saturday after Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.

Iran continues to hold control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, while the US maintains a counter-blockade targeting Iranian ports.

The US is also trying to put further pressure on Iran’s economy by imposing sanctions on entities linked financially to the Islamic Republic, hoping to force Tehran to back down.

With inputs from agencies

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