Iran war stuck in stalemate with no breakthrough in sight, analyst says
Harvard professor Stephen Walt said President Donald Trump has “run out of options” in the conflict with Iran.
Source: Al Jazeera · August 23, 2026 at 6:59 PM · AI-assisted report
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KUALA LUMPUR, 24 AUGUST 2026 —
Harvard professor Stephen Walt said President Donald Trump has “run out of options” in the conflict with Iran.
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Walt, professor of international relations at Harvard University, told Al Jazeera’s The World programme that Mr Trump’s unpredictability had failed to strengthen Washington’s hand. “The Iranians have no reason to believe anything Trump tells them,” he said.
The war is now in a “hurting stalemate,” Walt said. “Neither side really wants to escalate; they’re just waiting for the other side to crack.”
On the Palestinian-Israeli front, Walt said there was no path to a genuine political settlement. “Neither US party is willing to exert pressure on Israel,” he said. “There’s still a very strong commitment to ‘Greater Israel’.”