BREAKING: Possible US Military Escalation Against Iran Could Happen Within 48 Hours, Analyst Warns

A renewed United States military operation against Iran may be launched within the next 24 to 48 hours, according to a geopolitical assessment shared by a media expert speaking to Al Jazeera English on Monday, May 18, 2026.

Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of media studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, suggested that the situation appears to be influenced by several competing power centres around US President Donald Trump. He pointed specifically to pressure from Israeli leadership and hardline voices within Washington’s political and security establishment.

Elmasry argued that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with what he described as strongly hawkish figures in the US administration, may be shaping the direction of American decision-making at a critical moment.

According to him, Washington is reportedly dissatisfied with the level of concessions it has received from Tehran in ongoing diplomatic efforts. He suggested that Trump may have anticipated a more decisive breakthrough from earlier negotiations, as well as from recent international engagements, including discussions held in China with President Xi Jinping.

The analyst further noted that, from a purely strategic standpoint, de-escalating the conflict at this stage could be the most rational choice for the US president, given the political pressure and economic burden associated with prolonged tensions.

However, he also warned that such a shift may be difficult to achieve. According to him, domestic political considerations in the United States, combined with the challenge of framing any outcome as a clear victory, could limit the administration’s ability to step back from escalation.

Overall, the assessment paints a picture of a tense and uncertain geopolitical moment, where diplomatic, military, and political pressures are converging and leaving little clarity about the immediate next steps.