Without ground operation, US will not achieve its goals – Oleg Blokhin

Military expert Oleg Blokhin spoke to Alpha News about the unfolding situation in the Middle East, assessing possible scenarios for further escalation, the role of external players, and the prospects for negotiations.

“There was, of course, a small chance to avoid conflict, but that was never Trump’s goal. He wanted a quick, victorious war, which he has essentially already begun and is now trying to carry out. We’ll see whether they decide on a ground operation. Yesterday, reports came in about the movement of US airborne units to northeastern Iraq—precisely where Iranian Azerbaijan is located. That is likely where the Americans will try to prepare the ground and establish a foothold for a land operation. Without a ground operation, they will not achieve their goals. I don’t understand this absurd involvement of France and Germany. I’ve never heard of a more foolish and pointless move. Most likely, leaders with collapsing approval ratings decided to make some kind of show, so they could later beat their chests and say, ‘We too defeated the evil Iranians.’ But what exactly Iranians have done to the Germans or the French—I cannot comprehend. I can at least understand the Gulf states, which Iran has targeted; there’s some explanation there. But the participation of France and Germany makes no sense to me, except as a farce. The British are also part of this process. So, the British, Americans, and Israelis—that all fits logically,” Blokhin said.

According to the expert, Iran has not yet delivered a large-scale response, but its military potential could be deployed later.

“Iran’s air defense is practically nonfunctional—I don’t see it working. The Americans and Israelis are freely bombing designated targets without significant interference. The Iranians are responding with strikes and ballistic missiles. Against Israel, I don’t see any major damage to military facilities. The only notable incident was today’s strike on a Saudi oil refinery, which was forced to shut down. That is a serious target, and Iran can count it as a success. But we don’t know whether they have shown their full strength, whether they have used all the munitions available to them or not. I do not rule out that Iran may later employ something more powerful and on a larger scale. At that point, it will no longer be a laughing matter for Trump and his allies,” Blokhin said.

According to the expert, the ultimate goal of the United States and Israel is the overthrow of the current regime in Iran.