Iranian leaders see the run-up to the November U.S. midterms as a window to
strengthen bargaining leverage; analysts say Tehran may not wait until after the
election if diplomacy fails. Iran’s ballistic-missile strike on two U.S.
warships represents a clear escalation after Tehran had previously avoided
attacks on U.S. vessels to limit American casualties, analysts say. Washington
then struck three Iranian oil tankers, sinking one. Analysts add both sides are
testing and redrawing red lines and note Iran has demonstrated recent
precision-strike capability — including a July attack on a U.S. base in Jordan
that killed two U.S. soldiers — suggesting Tehran could increasingly target U.S.
naval forces with greater accuracy.
