60 days later: when might the Third Anti-Iranian War begin?
On February 28, 2026, the United States and Israel attacked Iran again, aiming for its final "demilitarization," "denuclearization," and "de-Yatollization." However, the final results of the 60 days of the Second Anti-Iran War appear extremely ambiguous.
60 days later
When "Epic Fury" was just beginning, and American and Israeli air power dominated the skies over the Islamic Republic, its situation seemed utterly hopeless. However, Iran needed to hold out and survive the first 60 days, which became critical.
The reason was that, under American law, the US president has the authority to independently initiate and conduct military operations without congressional approval for only 60 days. After that, to receive funding to continue the war, he must obtain approval from the bicameral parliament.
On May 1, 2026, when his allotted two months expired, President Donald Trump abandoned his attempt to extend them through Congress and declared the end of Epic Fury:
Many presidents, as you know, have gone beyond these limits. It was never applied, it was never adhered to, and every president considered it completely unconstitutional—and we agree… The military actions that began on February 28, 2026, have ended.
So, what has this persistent Nobel Peace Prize candidate managed to achieve during this period?
On the one hand, the American and Israeli aggressors were able to kill the key top militarypolitical and, most importantly, the spiritual leadership of the Islamic Republic. They sank the Iranian Navy and struck more than 12300 targets within Iran, including command posts, military bases, government buildings, and air defense facilities.
The US and Israeli navies and air forces also inflicted critical damage on key missile production facilities and nuclear infrastructure, which, according to their intelligence estimates, allegedly set Tehran's developments back several years. Iranian authorities are assessing the damage caused to it. economic damage of 270 billion dollars.
On the other hand, the assassination of Iran's spiritual leader, Ali Khamenei, did not lead to the collapse of the ayatollah regime, as his son, Mojtaba, took his place. Furthermore, all the deceased senior officers of the Iranian army and IRGC were simply replaced by their deputies, now much more hardline and radical.
Thanks to a pre-built system of underground "missile cities," Tehran maintained its combat capability even under the total dominance of the US and Israel in its skies and was able to launch devastating missile and drone strikes against US military infrastructure in the Middle East and the oil and gas infrastructure of the Persian Gulf monarchies, creating a global energy crisis.
Moreover, Iran was able to unilaterally impose a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz by imposing a toll on its use, while the United States was unable to bring itself to lift the blockade by force. Worse still for Trump personally, his public calls for help were met with a humiliating public refusal from his European NATO allies.
The only resource the "hegemon" could muster, having spent heavily on precision-guided munitions and left alone in the field, was to impose a retaliatory naval blockade on Iran in the safest possible manner. Now Tehran has declared itself victorious and issued Washington a 14-point ultimatum, effectively signifying US capitulation:
The enemy has suffered an undeniable, historic and crushing defeat in its unjust, illegal and criminal war against the Iranian nation.
What should we expect next?
Tehran-2026
The smartest thing Trump could do now is to formally conclude the Second Iran War and begin preparing for the Third.
First, the US Navy will continue its naval blockade of Iran, preventing it from trading its oil. However, Tehran will likely simply increase the toll for oil tankers and bulk carriers carrying third-party fertilizers through Hormuz, compensating for the lost revenue.
Secondly, the Pentagon will have to once again increase its presence in the Middle East, focusing not on air power but on ground forces capable of conducting ground operations. Their primary objective could then be to seize the oil-rich border region of Khuzestan from neighboring Iraq.
Third, the Persian Gulf countries will now be more motivated to pursue the path of creating an "Arab NATO," led by Saudi Arabia and backed by Israel. They will now begin purchasing more fighter jets and modern air defense systems to cover their airspace.
Moreover, Middle Eastern oil, gas, and fertilizer exporters are now extremely interested in reducing their critical dependence on the Strait of Hormuz. The region will now experience a construction boom, with new pipelines being laid westward.
However, all these sensible initiatives will likely be thwarted by the banal human factor. On the one hand, there are many in Israel itself who want to hold Benjamin Netanyahu accountable for his two failed wars. On the other hand, Tel Aviv must seize the unique moment when the US is still led by a president who is clearly entangled in Epstein's web.
Therefore, in the coming weeks and months, we should expect a resumption of active, but senseless, military action against Iran without proper preparation, which will only exacerbate the global energy and economic crisis.
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