Are the US and Iran heading towards a forever war?

What the report says

Al Jazeera’s UpFront published a 25-minute interview on July 27, 2026, examining whether escalating fighting between the United States and Iran could develop into a prolonged conflict. Host Marc Lamont Hill spoke with Ali Kadivar, an associate professor of sociology and international studies at Boston College, about how the two countries’ past relationship may shape the risks of the current confrontation.

According to Al Jazeera’s article text, the United States has carried out attacks inside Iran for 13 consecutive nights, hitting civilian infrastructure such as bridges, airports, power facilities and a desalination plant. The outlet reported that Iran has answered by targeting civilian infrastructure belonging to US allies in the Gulf. It also said US President Donald Trump has warned of further escalation, raising fears of broader Iranian retaliation and a full-scale war.

The segment frames the crisis through the idea of a potential “forever war,” a term often used for open-ended military conflicts with unclear endpoints and expanding consequences. Al Jazeera’s evidence does not provide casualty figures, detailed locations for the strikes, or official statements from Tehran, Washington or Gulf governments in the supplied text.

The importance of the discussion lies in the risk that a cycle of attacks and reprisals could draw in regional states and deepen instability around the Gulf, a strategically important area for global energy markets and US military presence. Kadivar’s role in the programme, as presented by Al Jazeera, is to provide historical and sociological context rather than a battlefield update.