18 May 2026 - 14:51
The Kabul Tribune (KT)— The United States could resume military action against Iran within the next 24 to 48 hours, according to Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of media studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, who said President Donald Trump is facing pressure from hard-line advisers and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Elmasry said Trump “has got a lot of different people in his ear,” including Netanyahu and “very hawkish people” within his own administration.
Elmasry said Trump had not received the response he expected from Iran and had been disappointed by the course of negotiations.
“He hasn’t gotten the kind of capitulation that he’s wanted from the Iranians, and he expected from the Iranians,” Elmasry told Al Jazeera. He added that Trump also “expected negotiations to go differently” and had high expectations during his recent summit in China with President Xi Jinping.
Elmasry said ending the conflict now would be politically and economically wise for Trump and the United States, describing the situation as “a real disaster for him” and for the U.S. economy and political standing.
Still, Elmasry said Trump is unlikely to back away from the conflict because “Trump cannot go back at this point to the American people with a convincing victory declaration.”
The White House has not publicly confirmed any plans for renewed military action against Iran.
