Fears are rising of the outbreak of another war that could spread into a regional conflict in the Middle East as U.S. President Donald Trump raises the pressure on on Iran to give up its nuclear program.
Woman admits stealing over $60,000 in medical robot arms from St. Vincent’s Hospital on the SouthsideTraffic Alert: Parts of Roosevelt Boulevard closed due to police activity3 JSO officers shoot, kill man wielding knife in Dinsmore area after domestic disturbance call, police sayMatthew Gilbert Middle School community shocked by school bus violence that led to stabbing of studentFILE - A Thai peanut, vegetable and tofu bowl is displayed for a photograph in Coronado, Calif.
, on April 29, 2017. Florida Highway Patrol LogoRead full article: Man, 64, killed in crash after veering off road, striking fence on County Road 125 in Baker County FILE - This undated file photo provided by the U.S. Attorneys Office for Utah and introduced as evidence at a trial shows fentanyl-laced fake oxycodone pills collected during an investigation. Congress has voted to temporarily extend a sweeping tool that has helped federal agents crack down on drugs chemically similar to fentanyl. The Senate on Thursday, April 29, 2021, approved legislation extending until October an order that allows the federal government to classify so-called fentanyl analogues as Schedule I controlled substances. The drugs are generally foreign-made with a very close chemical makeup to the dangerous opioid. FILE - Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. FILE - People rest and as they take shelter in an underground parking garage as a precaution against possible Iranian missile attacks, in Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. FILE - Firefighters work to extinguish a blaze after a missile launched from Iran struck Tel Aviv, Israel, Monday, June 16, 2025. FILE - This photo provided by the U.S. Navy shows sailors preparing a Boeing EA-18G Growler on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Indian Ocean on Jan. 21, 2026. FILE - A man walks in the damaged headquarters of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting, Iranian state television, in Tehran, Iran, Thursday, June 19, 2025. FILE - Israeli air defense system fires to intercept missiles during an Iranian attack over Tel Aviv, Israel, Thursday, June 19, 2025. on Iran to give up its nuclear program, fears are rising of the outbreak of another war that could spread into a regional conflict.last year appeared to cripple key elements of Iran’s military, yet left its capabilities far from neutralized — a distinction that looms large as tensions rise again.If hostilities erupt again, the risk of a broader protracted conflict returns, especially if Iran's leadership sees the fight as one for its existence.The June 13-24 war started when Israel launched strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear program and top military officials. The United States joined the conflict, hitting three nuclear sites with massive, with a limited missile attack on an American military base in Qatar that it warned Washington of in advance, and which caused no casualties. Tehran and Israel then both Israel was able to significantly degrade Iran's air defenses with airstrikes and covert attacks from teams on the ground. Iran, presumably aware that its older F-14 and MiG-29 fighters were no match for the fifth-generation American F-35 stealth fighters and other aircraft flown by Israel, also never sent its air force into action.If hostilities resume, that scenario is likely to repeat, said Sascha Bruchmann, a defense analyst with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Bahrain. “In practical terms, in reductionist terms, the sky is open for American and Israeli planes,” he said. “The problem is how to defend the region from the retaliation.” Bruchmann said in the case of an expanded war, Iran would most likely hit back by targeting U.S. bases in the region, but could also attack oil infrastructure and mine the Strait of Hormuz, which links the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman, through which about a fifth of the world's oil is transported. They could also attempt to hit the American aircraft carriers, though they're well defended by the destroyers in their strike groups, Bruchmann said. “If the regime itself believes its survival is at stake, which it did not believe in June last year, I think the game is different,” he said. “If you have a ... regime that thinks it's about to go down, when why would you hold back with retaliation?”Iran fired hundreds of missiles during the 12-day war and used more than 1,000 attack drones, killing nearly three dozen Israeli civilians and wounding thousands. Danny Citrinowicz, a researcher at Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies and a former Iran specialist in Israel’s military and intelligence services, said that it remains unclear how much missile capacity Iran has rebuilt., attempts to restart manufacturing,” he said, adding that government leaks in Israeli media suggest that Israel assumes Iran still retains a substantial number of short-range ballistic missiles. Israeli strikes last year focused on what officials saw as the most immediate threats — Iran’s medium- and long-range missiles — leaving Tehran with a reduced but far from eliminated ability to threaten Israel. Its ability to hit nearby U.S. bases with short range missiles, seems barely diminished. “The short-range ballistic missiles did not suffer any significant hit whatsoever in the 12-day war,” Citrinowicz said. Iran's exact capabilities aren't known, but it’s thought to still have more than 1,000 long range missiles that could hit Israel, and several thousand of the shorter-range missiles that could be used to hit American bases or other targets nearby, Bruchmann said. Missile stockpiles matter only if a country retains the systems to launch them. Israel also took out many of Iran's launchers, but wasn't able to destroy them completely, and it seems likely that Iran will have been working hard to rebuild that capacity.that of Israel, with about 600,000 regular troops and 200,000 in the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, including the elite Quds Force. In the past they have also relied on proxy forces. Those include Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthi rebels in Yemen. But each has been so degraded by recent fighting that it's an open question whether they would be able — or willing — to come to Iran's assistance from Gaza, Lebanon or Yemen. A bigger threat might come from Iran-linked militias in Iraq, which could threaten U.S. forces on the ground there. Israel has around 170,000 members of active duty forces and another 400,000 reserves. But even though their military is smaller, many have been battle hardened by regional conflicts and they also have the latest U.S. and European equipment as well as a robust domestic defense industry. It also has the support of the U.S., both with its naval assets and multiple bases in the Middle East, includingBut beyond comparing numbers and capabilities, Bruchmann said that when thinking about a possible all-out conflict, one has to look at what the sides are willing to risk. “My assumption is that Americans are trying to plan for zero casualties,” he said. “We're talking regime survival versus a zero casualty intervention — so just phenomenally different stakes.”Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.Volunteers rehab Green Cove Springs home as Clay County prices rise, affordability tightensMiddle school student taken to hospital after being stabbed by another student on school busMan describes being shot after following hit-and-run driver on St. Johns Bluff | 'Excruciating Pain;Family reunited with 9-year-old son’s urn after more than a decadeNeighbors outraged after apparent swastika painted on St. Johns County homeNeighbors describe chaotic scene of deadly officer-involved shooting in NorthsideSome much-needed rain finally in the forecastJacksonville mother sues man, apartment complex, landscaping company over sexual assault of daughterViral video shows woman’s racist rant. A Jacksonville woman with the same name is getting threatsNeighbors turn frustration toward city councilwoman after recent shooting at Westside parking lotBishop Kenny girls basketball team uses motivation from last year to fuel playoff drive
Danny Citrinowicz Donald Trump Religion Washington News Business World News
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
WTI gains as Middle East tensions lift supply fears, US stocks weighWest Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Oil trades around $65.15 on Wednesday at the time of writing, up 1.53% on the day, extending the rebound that began earlier this week.
Read more »
Israel's Netanyahu to meet with Trump as negotiations continue with IranIsraeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday for a last-minute meeting to discuss the ongoing
Read more »
Why Trump says another carrier group 'might be going' to the Middle East for IranA U.S. Navy destroyer that was docked at the Israeli port of Eilat was seen on Sunday (February 1) maneuvering into the Red Sea, as tensions between Washington and Iran remain high despite talks.
Read more »
Another US aircraft carrier moves to Middle East amid Iran nuclear talks: reportUSS Gerald R. Ford will join USS Abraham Lincoln as Washington intensifies its stance towards Iran.
Read more »
USS Gerald R. Ford Deployed to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions with IranThe USS Gerald R. Ford is being moved to the Middle East as the U.S. weighs its options regarding Iran. The deployment of the aircraft carrier, along with the existing presence of the USS Abraham Lincoln, underscores the growing tensions in the region and the potential for military action. The Trump administration is balancing diplomatic efforts with the threat of force as it seeks a resolution to the Iranian nuclear program and its support for regional proxies.
Read more »
Second US carrier strike group heads to Middle East in Iran standoffThe U.S. will deploy the USS Gerald R. Ford to the Middle East, doubling carrier presence as tensions with Iran rise and talks stall.
Read more »