Iran has launched retaliatory strikes on military and civilian infrastructure in
Gulf states and Jordan while deliberately avoiding US naval assets near its
coast and attacks on Israel proper. Analysts say the pattern is designed to
apply pressure on US President Trump while minimizing the risk of a broader war.
Retired Lebanese brigadier-general Elias Hanna warned that striking US naval
forces would invite devastating US retaliation and noted such targets are
heavily defended and technically difficult to hit. Tehran University
political-science professor Atifeh Tajiani said the US is leveraging the Gulf
partners, notably Kuwait, and US naval positioning to target or pressure Iranian
civilian infrastructure, a dynamic that raises regional tensions and complicates
Iran’s response calculus.
