The situation in the Middle East has suddenly escalated with the United States and Israel launching strikes on Iran on Saturday. US President Donald Trump said that he aims to destroy Iran's missiles and missile industry. The US action indicates the failure of the first round of negotiations with Tehran to reach a basic consensus.

Washington's primary intention is to pressure Iran into making concessions in any potential talks, while also diverting attention from domestic political issues in the US, including the Epstein scandal, and building momentum for midterm elections in November.

This US military move has effectively opened Pandora's box. Future developments will hinge on Iran's response and its capacity to retaliate. Now that Iran has begun striking US military bases in the Middle East, the situation has become politically untenable for Washington.

The author is director of the Center for US-China Relations at Tsinghua University. This is an excerpt of the interview with China Daily reporter Li Huixian.

The views don't necessarily represent those of China Daily.

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