This is How Various Research Centers View the Scenario 

Scenarios of Iranian Retaliation as Expected by Western Think Tanks

If the United States decides to engage in direct military action alongside the Israeli occupation in a war against Iran, the regional landscape would quickly transform into a vast theater of multi-front conflict, with ramifications stretching from the Arabian Gulf to the Mediterranean, and from the Strait of Hormuz to the borders of Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon.

So what responses do Western research centers anticipate from Iran? And how might Tehran shape its strategy if an open confrontation with Washington erupts?

1. Closing the Strait of Hormuz: The Strategic Economic Weapon

According to an analysis by Stratfor, Iran’s first potential response would likely be the closure of the Strait of Hormuz or the disruption of maritime traffic through it.

Iran may resort to this scenario to drive up global oil prices and paralyze the international economy by means of:

Naval mines

Fast-attack boats

Anti-ship cruise missiles

This scenario, according to RAND Corporation, would not go unanswered by the U.S. military. However, it would achieve a core Iranian objective: plunging the global economy into panic and paralysis.

2. Launching a Massive Missile Campaign on U.S. Bases

Iran possesses the capacity to strike American bases in:

Iraq (Ain al-Assad, Erbil)

Syria (Al-Tanf)

The Gulf (Bahrain, Qatar, UAE)

Analysts at the Washington Institute predict that Iran or its proxies would launch waves of missiles and drones targeting these bases, with a high probability of human casualties, potentially triggering an even more aggressive