Meysam Mehrani, a political analyst, said that the increase of U.S. forces and naval task groups in the region shows that Washington, alongside economic pressure and sanctions, has also kept military options on the table.

He added that the Islamic Republic has raised the level of its threats because of its reduced capacity against the United States and the loss of some leverage such as the Strait of Hormuz and proxy forces. According to Mehrani, shifting the balance of power and greater alignment of more countries in the region with the United States and Israel has limited the options of the Islamic Republic.