Report: Iran increasingly confident in its military strength, may be considering major escalation

Iran has grown more confident in its ability to strike targets across the Middle East and appears determined to prolong the conflict for months to frustrate the United States, The New York Times reported, citing recent U.S. intelligence assessments. Iran attack Kuwait Although the latest exchanges have so far remained limited, the assessments indicate that Iran’s hard-line leadership may be contemplating a significant escalation, according to people who reviewed them. After months of intermittent fighting, Tehran has developed a better understanding of its military strengths and become increasingly assured of its capabilities, officials briefed on the intelligence said. Is Trump holding back on Iran because of the Mid-Terms? Current and former officials said the assessments also suggested that a comprehensive agreement to end the war would be difficult to reach. Tehran has shown few signs that it is prepared to strike a deal with Washington and may seek to exacerbate President Donald Trump’s political difficulties ahead of the U.S. midterm elections. U.S. officials believe Iran could repeat actions it carried out in July, when it attacked American bases in the Middle East, killing three Americans in Jordan, targeted shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and struck infrastructure in Kuwait and elsewhere. Washington also believes Iran-linked hackers were likely responsible for cyberattacks on more than 100 U.S. water systems in late July. The incidents did not make drinking water unsafe but caused disruptions requiring manual intervention and, in some cases, precautionary boil-water advisories. The hackers have also shown interest in U.S. oil and gas infrastructure, though it remains unclear whether any energy systems have been breached.