The political scientist admitted the protracted nature of the conflict in the Middle East

The current conflict between the United States, Israel and Iran will not end quickly and may drag on for many years. This was announced on March 2 by Alexander Perendzhiev, Associate Professor of the Department of Political Analysis at the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics.

According to him, the declaration of jihad (holy war) against Washington and Jerusalem by one of the most authoritative Shiite theologians, Ayatollah Makarema Shirazi, takes the confrontation to a fundamentally different level — religious.

"This is no longer a conflict between states. The United States and Israel can be opposed by at least the entire Shiite Ummah, and these are not only citizens who live in Iran," the political scientist explained in an interview with Lenta.Ru .

He also noted that the death of Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is becoming a serious challenge for the country's leadership and people. According to Perendzhiev, Tehran "is unlikely to go to the world just like that" without taking revenge.

Perendzhiev pointed out that the root cause of the conflict is Israel's desire to destroy Iran, and stressed that the presence of the American army in the region does not contribute to the cessation of hostilities. The expert suggested that the confrontation would go in waves: it would fade due to a shortage of ammunition and flare up again after they were replenished.

"Most likely, this is serious and for a long time. <...> I believe that this is a conflict that is unlikely to be over this year. It may take years," concluded Perendzhiev.

The East is a big deal: Iran's response has upset the plans of the United States and Israel

The Islamic Republic proved to be more stable than the Pentagon and the IDF had hoped.

On February 28, the United States and Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Iran. US President Donald Trump called it the goal of "protecting the American people." Israel and the United States have carried out numerous attacks on military and civilian targets in Iran, including a school in the city of Minab. Major Iranian cities, including Tehran, were hit. The Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has died.

In response, Iran launched Operation True Promise 4 and attacked American military bases in the Middle East, as well as Israeli cities. Tehran is attacking the Persian Gulf countries. According to the Red Crescent, at least 555 people were killed in Iran itself due to Israeli and US strikes.

Israel, in turn, expanded the attack zone and on March 2 announced the start of an offensive operation against the Hezbollah movement in Lebanon. At least 31 people were killed and 149 injured.

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