US casualties could erode Trump's political support for Iran war, says analyst | ABS-CBN News скачать в хорошем качестве

US casualties could erode Trump's political support for Iran war, says analyst | ABS-CBN News

Rising U.S. casualties from the recent conflict with Iran could challenge President Donald Trump's ability to maintain political support for the war, Jonathan Panikoff, Director of the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative at the Atlantic Council, said on Sunday (March 1). "The president was clear, as the strikes started, that there was a possibility that you could see U.S. casualties," Panikoff said. "I don't know that there's an expectation to see them as quickly as we did." He added that while initial momentum might help sustain public support early on, prolonged conflict could erode backing, especially if casualty numbers rise. Panikoff compared Trump's approach to that of former U.S. President George W. Bush during the Iraq War, stating that Trump has not prepared the public in the same way. "No boots on the ground make it a little easier," he said, contrasting the current conflict with the widespread backlash to the Iraq War. Panikoff emphasised Iran's focus on regime survival, which he said has likely driven its aggressive responses, including targeting U.S. soldiers and assets in the Gulf states, to pressure the Trump administration into ending the war. He also suggested that Iran may resort to “asymmetric” tactics, including cyberattacks or terrorist actions beyond the Middle East, in Europe, Latin America, or South Asia. "Iran's goal right now for regime survival is to bide as much time as possible … and to cause as much death and destruction as possible," he said. The political sustainability of the conflict appears tenuous, Panikoff concluded, as it largely depends on the trajectory of U.S. casualties and the perception of progress against the Iranian regime. "If casualties remain low … President Trump will be able to sustain the conflict for a fairly good amount of time," he said. "If we start to see U.S. casualty numbers ticking up… you're going to see the American people question what we're doing here.” — Reuters (Production: Thomas Holdstock, Ariel Wee) For more ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below:    • ABS-CBN News   For more Breaking News & Live Coverage videos, click the link below:    • Breaking News & Live Coverage   For more latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN News videos, click the link below:    • The latest news and analysis from ABS-CBN ...   For more News Digital News Raw Cuts, click the link below:    • News Digital Raw Cuts   Subscribe to the ABS-CBN News channel! - http://bit.ly/TheABSCBNNews Watch full episodes on iWant for FREE here: http://iwanttfc.com Visit our website at http://news.abs-cbn.com Facebook:   / abscbnnews   Twitter:   / abscbnnews   Instagram:   / abscbnnews   #MiddleEastCrisis #LatestNews #ABSCBNNews