If it comes to extremes, Iran could destroy two of the richest countries 0 13

The escalation of the conflict in the Middle East could lead to the destruction of two countries in the region. This opinion was expressed on the social network X by University of Chicago professor John Mearsheimer.

According to him, many considered Iran a weak opponent, but Tehran is characterized by education and insight, and it has "trump cards up its sleeve." "If it comes to extremes, they could wipe countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) off the face of the Earth, destroying them as full-fledged societies," the expert believes.

Mearsheimer is confident that Tehran could inflict enormous damage on the global economy, and the United States is unable to prevent this. "We are currently in a dangerous position. But as we move forward, the situation only worsens," the analyst warned. He explained that for Iran, the conflict with the U.S. and Israel is existential. Washington and Tel Aviv are making direct threats against Tehran, but they should dismiss thoughts of escalation and start considering ways to retreat.

Due to decisions made by former American President Joe Biden, most American anti-missiles have gone to Ukraine, which has now put the U.S. in a rather difficult position.

Despite this, American and Israeli military forces have carried out a total of more than 16,000 strikes on the territory of the Islamic Republic since the declaration of the joint military operation. This was reported by journalists from The Wall Street Journal, citing data from the U.S. Central Command and the Israel Defense Forces. It is specified that the U.S. military has destroyed at least 7,800 targets. Through their strikes, more than 120 Iranian ships have been damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, Israel has carried out about 8,500 strikes, experts calculated.

The U.S. has spent more than $25 billion on military operations against Iran. Relevant data is provided on the Iran War Cost Tracker portal.