Tehran- IRAF- Haas, analyzing recent U.S. military movements around Iran, wrote on Sunday, February 3, that any military strike on Iran would be a dangerous action, lacking logical justification, and a repetition of past catastrophic mistakes such as the Iraq War and the Libya intervention.
He highlighted that there is insufficient evidence to show that maximum pressure is effective in curbing Iran’s nuclear program and stressed that no imminent threat from Iran to U.S. interests has emerged that would necessitate a military response.
Risks of a “Selective War”: From Iranian Retaliation to Oil Price Spikes
Haas noted that the current U.S. military posture lacks a clear objective. He wrote that Israel is strongly urging an attack on Iran’s ballistic missile depots, whether by itself or with U.S. involvement.
However, the former diplomat warned Washington about the potentially catastrophic consequences of such an action. Any strike could provoke retaliatory attacks by Iran against U.S. forces in the region, Israel, shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, or oil facilities across the Middle East.
Haas emphasized that such retaliation could sharply drive up oil prices, which have already risen by 10 percent recently, a scenario that would be highly undesirable for the U.S. president, given American economic concerns and the proximity of the midterm elections.
Repeating Previous Mistakes
Referring to U.S. military interventions in the 21st century, Haas described any attack on Iran as a “selective war” in a region where Iraq (2003) and Libya (2011) serve as examples. Criticizing the lack of congressional oversight and public debate on the wisdom of this path, he said: “All these factors combined create a tremendous, unnecessary, and reckless risk for everyone.”
