Iran opens a 3,000-km. front across the Gulf in bid to stretch US defenses - analysis

Iran has escalated its conflict with the United States by opening a roughly 3,000-kilometer front across the Middle East, stretching from Amman to the Strait of Hormuz. This expansive strategy aims to spread the conflict as widely as possible, making it more difficult to counter.

This multi-layered approach also seeks to obscure centralized decision-making in Tehran. By allowing certain attacks to appear as actions by "rogue" elements or "hardline" factions within the IRGC, Iran can employ a "good cop-bad cop" tactic. The government may attempt to de-escalate while the IRGC escalates, a method previously used in negotiations with the West, now applied during wartime.

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completed a third round of strikes this week against Iran, July 11, holding Iranian forces accountable for attacking another commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz.

Furthermore, Iran is proposing a framework to manage passage through the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting a fee-based system for ships. This implies Iranian control over a critical global waterway, a move the US is expected to oppose due to its long-standing policy supporting freedom of navigation.

In response to recent Iranian attacks, including targeting a commercial ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the US carried out a third round of strikes on July 11. US Central Command reported hitting approximately 140 Iranian military targets with precision munitions, including missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, and communication networks. Previous US strikes this week had targeted around 80 sites.

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hit approximately 140 Iranian military targets with precision munitions launched by land- and sea-based fighter aircraft, drones, and naval vessels. Targets included Iranian missile and drone sites, naval capabilities, ammunition storage facilities, communication networks, and coastal surveillance locations.