Does Iran want the Middle East war to continue forever?

For nearly a week, the missiles had fallen silent across the Middle East, and oil markets had begun to stabilise. After weeks of exchanging blows across the Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz, the United States and Iran appeared to have reached an uneasy understanding, that neither side would fire the first shot. That calm did not last long, and this time, the pattern broke.Iran's ballistic missile attack on US forces in Jordan on Tuesday (July 28) has not only broken the pause but also altered the narrative of the Middle East conflict. Until now, Tehran had been retaliating against American strikes. The latest barrage, however, comes after days without any publicly announced US attacks, making it appear that Iran itself has reopened direct hostilities.Whether intentional or not, the chain of events has seemingly deepened the belief in Washington and among its regional allies that Iran has shifted from reacting to the war to sustaining it.The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly launched five ballistic missiles targeting the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan and another CENTCOM-linked military facility. According to the US Central Command (CENTCOM), all missiles were intercepted by American and Jordanian air defence systems, with no casualties reported among US personnel. The missile barrage ended what had been the longest pause in direct exchanges since the latest phase of the Iran-US confrontation began on February 28. The US responded to Iranian strikes on Jordan and bombed dozens of IRGC targets.HOW IRAN RESTARTED THE MIDDLE EAST CONFLICTFor weeks, neither Washington nor Tehran had announced military operations against each other. The temporary lull had encouraged hopes that both sides were seeking to prevent another spiral of escalation after weeks of conflict centred on the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow maritime choke point through which roughly 20% of the world's traded oil passes. That expectation has now been shattered. American officials were quick to point out that Iran fired first.According to a US official cited by the Associated Press (AP), the Iranian missile attack occurred before American and Saudi forces launched their own military operation in Iraq on Wednesday (July 29). The official emphasised that the subsequent strikes were not connected to the missile barrage but were instead aimed at Iran-backed militia infrastructure responsible for more than 30 drone attacks over the previous 72 hours targeting American forces and Saudi energy facilities.The joint US-Saudi operation marked another significant escalation in the Middle East conflict."We are going to beat the f**king sh*t out of them," US President Donald Trump told Fox News on Wednesday morning. "We'll be hitting them hard. They're going to get a beating," he warned.Action by American forces followed the US President's warning.US LAUNCHES RETALIATORY ATTACKS ON IRANUS Central Command announced that American forces had carried out a "heavy wave" of retaliatory strikes deep inside Iran on Thursday.According to CENTCOM, dozens of IRGC targets were hit, including military command centres, missile and drone production facilities, coastal surveillance installations, maritime capabilities and other strategic infrastructure. The objective, the Central Command said, was to reduce Iran's ability to threaten American personnel, commercial shipping and Gulf allies.The operation by the US is one of the most extensive and publicly acknowledged American strikes on Iranian military assets during the conflict.WHY IRAN'S FRESH ATTACKS APPEAR A CHANGE IN THE WAR PATTERNThe renewed exchange raises questions about Tehran's broader strategy of war.Throughout the conflict since February, Iranian officials have consistently framed military actions as proportionate retaliation for American attacks, sanctions and pressure. That narrative helped Iran position itself domestically and internationally as reacting rather than initiating.The latest sequence, however, contradicts that narrative.Iran appears to have been the first to resume direct hostilities after the brief pause. Even if Tehran calculated that targeting US bases without causing casualties would serve as a limited show of force, the move has instead handed Washington a stronger justification for launching another major round of attacks."... Something appears to have changed fundamentally in Iran's approach, particularly regarding its willingness to initiate a strike if it considers that to be the only viable option," Hamidreza Azizi, a researcher at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, wrote on X on Wednesday.It also seems that Iran now doesn't want to end this war, and for now, neither side appears willing to step back.Iran has demonstrated that it retains both the capability and willingness to strike American positions despite weeks of military pressure. The US, meanwhile, has responded with increasingly expansive operations targeting the IRGC itself rather than merely its regional proxies.The brief silence that once hinted at diplomacy now looks more like an intermission. And with Tehran breaking that silence through ballistic missiles, the latest chapter of the conflict suggests that Iran is prepared to keep the confrontation alive.- EndsPublished By: Avinash KateelPublished On: Jul 30, 2026 12:28 IST