Michael Stephens, a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, said Iran wants to prolong the war to make it more painful for the United States. Speaking to Al Jazeera on August 13, he said that nearly six months after the war began, Iran is confident that the United States is unwilling to launch a ground operation.

Stephens said Iran believes economic pressure does not threaten the government’s survival. He said Tehran therefore wants to accelerate the war and make the burden more intense for President Trump, with prolonging the conflict being the best way to do so.

Before the February 28 US-Israeli attacks, it was widely believed that Iran’s government could easily collapse after major protests in late December and January and months of unrest. Stephens said the situation no longer appears that way. He described the current stalemate as painful for Iran but not an existential crisis, and said he was not fully sure the United States has a way to compel Iran’s governing system to act as it wishes.