US officials have acknowledged Iran’s growing power in the region, while warning that any "insane" American military action against Tehran could trigger a wider conflict and plunge US troops and diplomats into grave danger.
Tom Barrack, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy to the region, said governments across West Asia were increasingly preparing for a future in which they would have to manage relations with Iran after the eventual withdrawal of American forces.
Speaking about concerns among regional leaders, Barrack said they were positive that US forces would leave the region and they would be left alone with the "wounded lion" Iran.
“America, you’re eventually going to go home,” Barrack said, quoting what regional government leaders had told him. “We’re going to be left with this wounded lion.”
His remarks were presented as an acknowledgment of Iran’s military and political strength, as well as the limits of the US ability to maintain a permanent presence in the region.
The comments came amid continued threats by Washington to launch a fresh round of aggression against Iran and Tehran's expression of readiness to defend against any attacks.
US Senator Chris Murphy (Dem.- Connecticut) separately issued a warning about discussions inside the Trump administration regarding the possible post-midterm military attack on Iran.
Murphy said he was among members of Congress recently briefed behind closed doors on the Trump administration’s war plans.
“The plan that they have developed will lead, in my view, to a prolongation and an escalation of this war that would be devastating for our security interests,” Murphy said.
The US lawmaker described the proposed strategy as “insane” and warned that it could undermine US commitments to international law and produce a large number of American casualties.
Murphy said Iran had made clear that a renewed US bombing campaign would result in direct attacks on American personnel across the region. He insisted that Washington obviously did not have the ability to protect its soldiers, diplomats and military facilities in the region.
“I don’t think anyone should have any degree of confidence that we can protect our soldiers and diplomats in the region,” Murphy said. He added that if Trump resumed military action against Iran, he would do so knowing that American personnel would be killed.
Murphy emphasized that point repeatedly, saying the president would act “with knowledge” of the dire consequences.
The senator also said the Trump administration was concealing the extent of damage inflicted on US military installations in the Persian Gulf by Iranian retaliation. Murphy recently traveled to several Persian Gulf Arab states to assess the reported damage and said the administration was engaged in a “cover-up.”
These comments by the senior US officials highlight the growing risks for Americans surrounding the continued illegal US-Israeli war on Iran. While Washington seeks to restore its waning influence in West Asia and beyond, US officials and analysts increasingly acknowledge that the Islamic Republic maintains its inherent role as a powerful regional actor capable of imposing significant losses to US interests in the region.
Ryan Costello, policy director at the National Iranian American Council, described Murphy’s comments as “a chilling warning” and called for an immediate cease to the war.
Trump is reportedly weighing a large-scale assault on Iranian civilian infrastructure after the mid-term elections. Trump recently told supporters at a rally, “We may do another little Epic Fury. Or they’ll agree.”
The US-Israeli war was launched on February 28, while Tehran and Washington were engaged in negotiations over Iran’s peaceful nuclear program. Iran responded with waves of missiles and drones targeting Israeli-occupied territories, as well as US bases and interests in the region.
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