London-based defense analyst Alex Alfiraj Shears told Al Jazeera that Iran’s main strategic objective in its ongoing conflict with the United States is survival. He said Iran has demonstrated readiness to absorb significant losses and will not withdraw from retaliatory actions, as Tehran views the confrontation as a fight for its existence.

Shears explained that Iran’s second goal is reconstruction, while its third is to shift the regional balance of power in its favor. To achieve these aims, Iran must show it can maintain control over the Strait of Hormuz, which he described as its most powerful bargaining tool. In contrast, Shears noted that the United States’ strategic objectives remain unclear.

He added that the large U.S. military presence in the Gulf continues to pose a serious threat to Iran. Shears also observed that for a leader like Trump, who presents himself as a skilled negotiator, it would be difficult to convince supporters before the midterm elections that the U.S. has won the war and that the conflict was not in vain.