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Former US Defence Secretary Leon Panetta has warned that President Donald Trump’s war with Iran could continue for another six months, saying the conflict risks turning into another prolonged “forever war” in the Middle East.

Panetta told The Guardian that the US and Iran remain locked in a stalemate, with few options available to bring the conflict to an end. He said the war could become another failed Middle East conflict, similar to Iraq and Afghanistan.

“I think the likelihood is this war is going to continue for another six months without being resolved,” Panetta said to Guardian.

Panetta Warns Of Weakness At Pentagon

Panetta spoke days after US Army Secretary Dan Driscoll abruptly resigned amid reported tensions with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth over a series of firings.

Panetta, who served as Defence Secretary from 2011 to 2013 and CIA director under Barack Obama, said US service members were going to war amid “tremendous turmoil” at the Pentagon and within the command structure.

He argued that the situation could create a perception that there was nobody in charge, adding that US adversaries could interpret the turmoil as a sign of weakness in Washington’s ability to use its military capabilities effectively.

Panetta said his biggest concern was that the US was sending a message of weakness to its main adversaries, including China, Russia, North Korea and Iran, as well as terrorist groups.

Pentagon Rejects Claims Of Disarray

The Pentagon rejected Panetta’s assessment, insisting that the department was functioning effectively under Hegseth’s leadership.

Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell called the claim that the department was in disarray “completely baseless” and said it was an insult to military personnel and professionals working to defend the US.

Trump ‘Boxed Himself In’ Over Iran War

Panetta said Trump remains trapped between difficult choices over the conflict, a position he had highlighted earlier this year.

According to Panetta, Trump now has three options.

The first is to walk away and acknowledge that the war has failed, something Panetta said he finds difficult to imagine Trump doing.

The second is to allow the current stalemate to continue, with periodic tit-for-tat attacks while both sides avoid a wider conflict and refuse to negotiate or surrender.

Panetta warned that this could result in another prolonged war in the Middle East.

The third option, he said, would be for the US to take control of the Strait of Hormuz and remove what he described as Iran’s key leverage over Washington—the ability to disrupt the vital global trade chokepoint.

“So the president either steps up and does what’s necessary to open up the strait of Hormuz, or ... he just continues to play ... this game of pretending that somehow he’s winning a stalemate when the fact is he’s not,” Panetta said.

Panetta Says War Can Be Won Only By Reopening Hormuz

Asked whether he believed the conflict was winnable for the US, Panetta said it would require a “dramatic change” in Washington’s approach.

He argued that the US would need to make reopening the Strait of Hormuz its primary objective.

Panetta also accused Trump of damaging his credibility by repeatedly claiming that a deal to end the war was imminent and that the Strait of Hormuz was open.

He questioned whether Trump would ultimately make a decision that could deliver a resolution, saying the president was currently “caught in the worst of every world”.

Vance Unsure When Iran Conflict Will End

US Vice-President JD Vance recently declined to describe the military confrontation with Iran as a “war”.

Asked whether he expected the conflict to end before the November US midterm elections, Vance said he did not know and that the answer would have to come from Iran.

Panetta, meanwhile, said many Americans had lost faith in Trump’s ability to handle the conflict, citing recent polling that indicated significant public opposition to the war.

Panetta Raises Concerns Over US Troops’ Deployment

Panetta also pointed to the prolonged deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln, which arrived in Thailand after a record-breaking deployment supporting US operations against Iran.

The aircraft carrier had spent more than 260 days deployed without a port visit, amid reports of deteriorating living conditions and mental health concerns among personnel.

Panetta said troops should not be deployed endlessly in a war zone without proper plans for rotation.

He added that concerns extended beyond the course of the war to whether the US military was adequately supporting service members risking their lives.