The New York Times, citing recent US intelligence assessments, reports that Iran has become more confident in its military capabilities six months after the start of the war and may be considering a significant escalation of the conflict.
According to the newspaper, US assessments indicate that Tehran believes it is increasingly capable of striking US and other targets across the Middle East.
Some US officials believe Iran may seek to prolong the conflict in an effort to exhaust Washington and increase domestic political pressure on US President Donald Trump ahead of the midterm elections.
The assessments also suggest that Washington may have underestimated Iran’s ability to withstand sustained air strikes and severe economic pressure.
There are reportedly few signs that Tehran is prepared to reach a comprehensive agreement with Washington.
US intelligence assessments indicate that Iran could repeat some of the actions seen in July in the coming weeks, including attacks on US military bases in the Middle East, strikes against vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and attacks on infrastructure in Kuwait and other countries.
Cyber attacks are also part of the US assessment of Iran’s ability to exert pressure. American officials believe hackers linked to Iran may have been involved in attacks in late July that targeted more than 100 water systems across the United States and disrupted the operations of some facilities.
The claims are based on US intelligence assessments and have not been independently verified.
