The United States is preparing for a new phase of attacks on Iran that is expected to be more intense than the previous one. They plan to carry it out within the next 24 hours. The operation against Iran is also affecting Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Escalation of Attacks on Iran
The US is preparing for a “major uptick” in attacks in Iran over the next day, a senior American official told CNN. According to the official, Washington assessed that the first round of strikes weakened Iran’s defenses. The next stage aims to destroy missile and drone production facilities and undermine Iran’s naval capabilities.
In a previous interview with CNN on March 2, US President Donald Trump signaled escalation. He told reporters:
“We haven’t even started hitting them hard. The big wave hasn’t even happened. The big one is coming soon.”
The senior official also said that US missile stockpiles are running low. There is a particular shortage of land-attack Tomahawk missiles and SM-3 interceptors. According to Trump, he had expected the war against Iran to last four weeks. However, he said it is progressing “ahead of schedule.”
Impact on the Russia–Ukraine War
The consequences of the US and Israeli operation against Iran are influencing the course of Russia’s war against Ukraine, Politico reports. European officials fear that Washington may continue to lose interest in ending Russian war in Ukraine. This could create challenges for Kyiv in securing weapons supplies. If the war with Iran drags on, the US will likely prioritize replenishing its own arsenals.
“A lot of firepower including interceptor and other missiles have been expended. The US needs to restock, meaning there is less for Europe or Ukraine to buy,” one official said on condition of anonymity.
After an Iranian drone attacked a British air base in Cyprus, a meeting on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union was postponed. It had been scheduled for earlier this week. The outlet reports that officials may transfer accession-related documents to Ukraine as soon as possible to keep the process moving.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy offered Middle Eastern countries Ukraine’s experience in countering Iranian drones. The condition was that regional leaders engage in negotiations with the Kremlin on a temporary ceasefire.
