The WSJ pointed out the limited options for ending the conflict between the United States and Iran.

In the context of a new round of escalation of the Middle East conflict, both sides — the United States and Iran — have fewer options and time to achieve their goals and resolve the crisis itself. This was reported by The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on July 15.

It is noted that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, would prefer to resolve the conflict before the midterm elections in his homeland in November, as well as before oil prices reach a "painful level for Americans" again. Tehran is trying to buy time and hopes that Iran's naval blockade in the Strait of Hormuz will undermine the weakened US economy, while not wanting to provoke another large-scale American-Israeli attack.

"Each side has come to the conclusion that the best option for it is to resume the conflict at a low level until the other side surrenders," the newspaper writes.

At the same time, Washington is unlikely to be able to stop threats from Tehran regarding shipping in the Strait of Hormuz without a sharp escalation of the situation in the region, which they will not do for reasons rooted in domestic politics, the authors of the WSJ believe. However, according to the newspaper, Iran should still be afraid that Trump may take such a step, seeking an unconditional victory in the Middle East conflict in order to regain the positions of Republicans in the United States ahead of the elections.

Analysts say that such a strategy also carries risks for the head of the White House. In response to the sharp escalation of the conflict, Iran may step up attacks on US allies in the region. And since Washington is experiencing a serious shortage of interceptor missiles that would allow the Persian Gulf countries to defend themselves from drones and missiles of the Islamic Republic, Trump's attempts to "stall for time" are becoming even more risky.

The United States has completed another series of strikes on Iran. What is known

On July 15, the Iranian army announced its intention to continue attacking US bases in the Middle East "until the final victory." In total, since the violation of the ceasefire, the Iranian military has allegedly attacked American bases in the region six times with drones.

The day before, the Axios portal reported that the American leader held a meeting at the White House to discuss large-scale strikes on Iranian territory.