Former US Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warned of the possibility of the war between the United States and Iran continuing for another 6 months, considering that the conflict may turn into “another eternal war in the Middle East” with no clear horizon for its end.

Panetta, who also served as director of the CIA under Barack Obama, said in an interview with The Guardian newspaper that the United States and Iran are “stuck in a dangerous stalemate,” in light of the limited options available to end the war.

He considered that the conflict was heading towards becoming “another failed war” in the Middle East, similar to the experiences of Iraq and Afghanistan, adding: “I think that the greatest possibility is that this war will continue for another 6 months without reaching a solution.”

Panetta, who held the Ministry of Defense between 2011 and 2013, also saw that the US armed forces were entering the war at a time when the Pentagon was witnessing major upheavals in the command structure, which, according to him, created the impression that “no one is in charge.”

He added that the opponents of the United States, whether Iran or others, look at Washington and see weaknesses in its ability to implement its military capabilities and defend the country, noting that the most prominent sources of concern currently are China, Russia, North Korea, and terrorism, in addition to Iran.

He said that these parties continue to coordinate and support each other within what he described as the “axis” that was formed between them, considering that they view the United States as particularly weak at this stage, which he described as “a very disturbing message.”

Panetta’s statements came days after the sudden resignation of US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll, amid reports of tensions with Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against the backdrop of a series of dismissals.

On the other hand, the Pentagon confirmed that it was operating at full capacity under Hegseth’s leadership, and the main spokesman for the Ministry of Defense, Sean Parnell, said that the claim that the ministry was in a state of chaos was “absolutely baseless.”

Last March, just three weeks after the United States and Israel began their military operation against Iran, Panetta considered that US President Donald Trump was stuck between two difficult options: either expanding the war with the aim of ending Tehran’s ability to influence the Strait of Hormuz, or withdrawing and declaring victory despite the risks of appearing like a failure.

Today, Panetta believes that Trump has three options, the first of which is to withdraw and admit that the war has failed, which is an option that the American president is unlikely to make.

The second option is to continue the current stalemate through mutual and intermittent attacks, with both sides seeking to avoid the outbreak of a larger war, without negotiation or surrender.

The third option, according to Panetta, is for the United States to control the Strait of Hormuz and remove what he described as “the most dangerous Iranian pressure card,” which is Tehran’s ability to close the vital corridor or disrupt the movement of global trade through it.

These statements come six months after the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, at a time when the war appears to be at a standstill, following the collapse of the initial ceasefire agreement concluded last June, and the lack of significant progress in diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.

After military operations stopped during most of August, the exchange of strikes resumed, as the US Central Command announced yesterday, Saturday, that it had targeted 3 Iranian tankers in response to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard launching ballistic missiles at two US Navy ships.

For his part, the Speaker of the Iranian Shura Council, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, stressed today, Sunday, that the United States must realize “before it is too late” that the rules of the game in the war against Iran have changed, adding: “From now on, any attack on Iran’s interests and security will be met with a faster, harsher, and more painful response.”