Leon Panetta, the former U.S. defense secretary, warned in an interview with The Guardian that the war with the Islamic Republic will likely continue for at least another six months and could turn into a “never-ending war” like the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Panetta said Washington and Tehran are stuck in a “terrible deadlock,” and neither is willing to negotiate or back down under the current circumstances.

He outlined three options for Donald Trump, the U.S. president: withdrawing from the war, continuing periodic attacks amid the stalemate, or taking control of the Strait of Hormuz and fully reopening it.

Panetta said that victory for the United States is only possible if Washington changes its approach and makes reopening the Strait of Hormuz the main goal of the operation.

He also described turmoil in the Pentagon and changes in the army command structure as signs of weakness, and said that the continuation of long deployments of U.S. forces, including the crew of the Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, has increased concerns about how the war is being managed and about support for the military personnel.