Pressure and Probing in Parallel: U.S. Prepares to Restart Military Actions Against Iran

According to U.S. sources on the 7th, multiple American officials stated that the U.S. Department of Defense had instructed the U.S. Central Command several days ago to prepare for the resumption of large-scale military operations against Iran. The U.S. President recently indicated in an interview that there may be an intensified effort to strike Iran after the midterm elections.

Military operations emphasize secrecy and the pursuit of operational surprise. However, the U.S. has indicated that it is brewing large-scale military operations against Iran, and although these operations have not yet materialized, the news of preparations has already been publicly disseminated. What is the intention behind this unusual approach? How likely is the resumption of military operations?

The U.S. military buildup in the Middle East aims to pressure Iran

Wang Jin, Professor at Northwestern University's Institute for Regional and Country Studies: Before launching military operations, the U.S. is making a loud show of threats to Iran, mainly hoping to use the current window of military mobilization to pressure Iran into making concessions and to test the possibility of Iran proactively seeking contact with the U.S.

A new round of U.S. military strikes against Iran may be unavoidable

Wang Jin, Professor at Northwestern University's Institute for Regional and Country Studies: Given the current situation, the naval formation centered around the USS Roosevelt is expected to take about another month to reach the Middle East. Meanwhile, the U.S. is also dispatching new combat forces to the region. Based on the scale of the current military mobilization, it is highly likely that the U.S. is gathering forces for a new round of strikes against Iran. From the experiences of previous conflicts since the outbreak of the new round of clashes between the U.S., Iran, and Israel on February 28, whenever a U.S. aircraft carrier group arrives in the Middle East, it often signifies that the U.S. will launch a new round of strikes against Iran, making the probability of new conflicts between the U.S. and Iran quite high.

Wang Jin, Professor at Northwestern University's Institute for Regional and Country Studies: Therefore, during the current time window, the U.S. hopes to display a tough stance, forcing Iran to proactively seek contact and make concessions on various issues, especially regarding Iran's nuclear issue and the navigation issues in the Strait of Hormuz. On one hand, the U.S. is showcasing its military strength and mobilizing forces; on the other hand, it hopes to use this window period as a pressure point to test Iran's reactions, compelling Iran to make concessions and seek contact with the U.S.