The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has requested the transfer of Dark Eagle hypersonic missiles to the Middle East for possible strikes on Iran, Bloomberg reports, citing sources.
Details. At the Pentagon, the need for such a step is explained by the fact that Iran has moved its ballistic missile launchers deeper into the country, making them unreachable for other American strike systems.
At the same time, no final decision on deployment has yet been made.
What is known about these missiles. The Dark Eagle system, created by Lockheed Martin, is still undergoing testing. It was developed to overcome modern air defense systems, including Russian and Chinese ones. According to Bloomberg, the missile's range exceeds 2,700 km, its speed is more than 6,000 km/h, and it can maneuver to avoid interception.
The cost of one such missile is estimated at about 15 million, and the U.S. has about eight of them in total, the agency writes. If the deployment is approved, this will be the first time in history that the United States deploys hypersonic weapons.
Is a continuation of the conflict possible? On April 30, Trump will receive a briefing from CENTCOM on possible scenarios for a military operation against Iran, Axios reports, citing sources.
According to the publication, the U.S. is considering options for resuming hostilities, either to pressure Tehran or to deliver a "decisive strike" before the conflict ends. Other scenarios mentioned include a "short and powerful" series of strikes on infrastructure, as well as a special forces operation to establish control over enriched uranium stockpiles.
Sources claim that Trump currently considers a naval blockade "more effective than bombardment," but is ready to return to the military option if Iran does not make concessions. Washington also acknowledges the risk of retaliatory strikes from Tehran.
What experts say. In a conversation with Novaya-Europe, Middle East specialist and NEST Centre expert Ruslan Suleymanov said that one of the consequences of the war in the Middle East has been the worsening situation in the Strait of Hormuz and on oil markets. If this was less noticeable at the beginning of the war, oil supplies are now becoming a source of tension between the U.S., Iran, and Israel.
"Until an agreement similar to the 2015 nuclear deal is reached, the U.S. will continue to put pressure on the Iranian economy. <...> This tension is becoming a constant background," the Middle East specialist said.
According to Suleymanov, the resumption of American strikes will affect Iran's economy, but this is "unlikely to lead to the regime's complete collapse." In his opinion, the pressure tactic chosen by Washington shows that the U.S. has no real alternatives. The specialist added that Trump is relying on pressure "not through military instruments," although a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is "partly also a military instrument."
Suleymanov also emphasized in his conversation with Novaya-Europe that the sides "do not have many options": either a return to hostilities or negotiations. However, a compromise remains unattainable for now because "the sides are not making concessions," and the blockade is not producing results. The Iranian authorities have already made it clear that they are not ready to "capitulate" to Washington, despite the worsening economic situation.
The key risk for the country, the Middle East specialist said, is internal instability and the possible return of protests, and this, he believes, is what Trump is "counting on, among other things."
At the same time, in Suleymanov's view, the U.S. has already effectively exited the active phase of the conflict without achieving its stated goals. As a result, the confrontation is shifting into a "permanent state," and tensions will persist.
War in the Middle East. After the start of hostilities, Iran blocked the Strait of Hormuz, and the U.S. imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports. Tehran proposed a settlement plan to Washington that provides for ending the war and unblocking the strait, Axios wrote.
According to Reuters, this initiative includes a ceasefire and the provision of non-aggression guarantees, followed by the lifting of the American naval blockade and a discussion of the status of the Strait of Hormuz, which Iran intends to keep under its control.
However, Trump and his team were dissatisfied with Iran's proposal, Reuters wrote.