Following a covert strike on three major Iranian nuclear sites, Iran might attempt retaliation against the U.S. However, the regime currently lacks the strength to significantly escalate the situation, an expert in Middle Eastern and U.S. national security shared with Fox News Digital on Sunday.
Jacob Olidort, who heads the Center for American Security at the America First Policy Institute, described Iran as “making a lot of noise right now.” He predicted that any response from Iran towards the U.S. might be minimal.
“I foresee them making some attempt to save face,” Olidort remarked, suggesting that Iran could resort to cyber warfare or target the region’s infrastructure.
Iran has already launched more missiles at Israel in the wake of the U.S. military’s Operation Midnight Hammer, striking at least 10 impact sites and injuring at least 20 people in Israel.
The U.S. strikes may now have hindered Iran’s nuclear program by upwards of a decade, according to Olidort, though he said that the timeframe largely depends on what actions or agreements the U.S. and Iran make in the days to come.
The U.S. launched a surprise strike using B-2 stealth bombers on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities on Saturday.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said during a briefing at the Pentagon on Sunday morning that the full extent of the battle damage to the facilities would take time to assess.
It remained unclear as of Sunday whether any enriched nuclear material was destroyed in the U.S. strikes or if Iran had moved the material beforehand.
