Although US President Donald Trump announced the suspension of a planned strike on Iran, it is premature to expect a swift end to the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. This observation was made by Paul Musgrave, an associate professor in the Department of Government and Politics at Georgetown University in Qatar.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said, “We might be moving towards the beginning of the end of the conflict, but right now, both sides are strongly asserting their positions.” According to him, much of this posturing is being expressed through “inflammatory rhetoric.”
Musgrave noted that the US administration has begun to feel the “direct impact” of the conflict domestically. This includes rising prices for petroleum and liquefied natural gas (LNG).
He added, “There is speculation that Iran might be behind some recent cyberattacks in the US. If that proves true, then the impact of this conflict is reaching directly into the United States.”
However, he did not cite any concrete evidence to support this claim.
Musgrave further remarked that both President Trump and the Iranian government are taking political timelines into account. As he put it, “Election time is approaching,” and the fact that elections are scheduled in the US and Israel around October and November could influence the political decisions of the parties involved.
