US Lawmaker Warns Limited War With Iran Cannot Continue Indefinitely

US and Iranian forces have intensified military strikes in recent days, leaving the conflict stuck between a ceasefire and full-scale war. According to Sina Finance, North Carolina Republican Representative Pat Harrigan said on Wednesday, "From a military standpoint, we are very clearly stuck. There is no doubt about that." Harrigan is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. In the latest round of attacks, Iran struck merchant ships, prompting the United States to hit facilities used by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to target vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran then fired missiles and drones at U.S. bases in the region, including bases in Jordan, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Iran said Tuesday night’s U.S. strikes killed 18 people, and it vowed retaliation for a U.S. attack on a wedding in the southern city of Sirik. The Iranian Red Crescent said that strike killed at least four people and injured 67. Most of August had been relatively calm, but energy prices have risen again. Brent crude has climbed more than 6% this week to $95 a barrel, while U.S. diesel retail prices have reached a four-year high. Rising energy costs have also fueled a global bond selloff. Bloomberg Economics’ Dina Esfandiary and Becca Wasser wrote that both sides are steadily raising the conditions and demands for returning to talks. They said the uneasy stalemate is likely to continue, with new bouts of violence possible from time to time. Jon Alterman, head of global strategy and security at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said neither side has a mature strategy for victory. He said survival is victory for Iran, while allowing Iran to control the Strait of Hormuz is unacceptable for the United States. Michael O’Hanlon, director of defense and strategy at the Brookings Institution, said a blockade is the most feasible option for now and is putting considerable pressure on Iran. He said the U.S. military presence supports and complements the economic pressure campaign led by Bessent. O’Hanlon said the United States could keep 15 warships on duty in the Persian Gulf for as long as needed. Harrigan said the United States has achieved some of the goals set at the start of the conflict, but it is now "stuck." He said the United States cannot fight a limited war indefinitely while expecting limited conflict to achieve unlimited goals.