Newsweek outlines five scenarios for the future of US-Iran conflict

WASHINGTON, United States — Newsweek has identified five possible scenarios for the trajectory of the US-Iran confrontation, according to its analysis drawn from Iran specialists and experts on sanctions, energy and military strategy. The first scenario envisions a limited navigation agreement in the Strait of Hormuz that could lay the groundwork for broader negotiations between Washington and Tehran. The second outlines an "economic isolation" track in which the United States expands sanctions to cut Iran off from external financing and trade channels. In the third scenario, Iran is assessed as likely to target regional energy facilities and commercial infrastructure to raise the cost of US pressure. The fourth considers the possibility of broader US-Israeli operations if sanctions and negotiations fail to extract concessions from Tehran. The fifth scenario, described by many experts as the most likely, projects a continuation of the current state of affairs: limited compromises over the Strait of Hormuz, followed by tightened sanctions, stalled talks, reciprocal Iranian steps and an ongoing cycle of limited US military deployments without a comprehensive resolution.