Featured Image Credit: JUNG YEON-JE / Contributor via Getty
It's not yet been two weeks since the United States and Israeli militaries first conducted air strikes on Iran, yet the conflict has grown far larger than the aggressors likely expected and appears to be far from a conclusion.
Unlike the United States' attacks on Venezuela, which were 'over' almost as quickly as they began, Operation Epic Fury has brought about a conflict that could very well lead to World War 3 as many remain fearful for the future.
Iran's immediate reaction to the strikes saw the nation exert both military and economic force as not only were US-associated targets in neighboring countries hit with a barrage of strikes, but the Strait of Hormuz was completely closed off, considerably impacting the global oil economy.
While President Donald Trump has claimed that the war is close to completion, many speculate that it could continue to rage on and now, ChatGPT has offered its own unnerving prediction for the conflict's final outcome.
Advert
As with any conflict on this scale between nations as powerful as those involved, it's difficult to have a concrete or certain answer for when it might end or who might emerge victorious, but AI appears to believe that it won't be pretty regardless.
It does float the possibility of a negotiated end to conflict where both sides unilaterally agree to stand off, although speculates that this would be unlikely and certainly not imminent.
Instead, it highlights that the two most probably outcomes range from a stalemate with frozen conflict to a protracted wider war, both of which would leave the world in a far worse state with significant geopolitical and economic ramifications.
The better of the two outcomes is definitely a stalemate, but that doesn't mean that conflict is over. There are likely to be limited large-scale battles or significant military action, but tensions will remain between the nations involved.
It's likely to be brought about if economic pressure enacted by Iran continues to be effective, as the United States and its allies will be forced to concede in some areas to relax the pressure.
If a stalemate isn't reached, however, things are likely to continue as they are with conflict spreading to neighboring nations via proxy, with countries like Iraq, Lebanon, and Yemen at risk.
This is unfortunately the most likely outcome based on current military activity between the involved nations, and it could potentially also spill over into another major power with the threat of China or Russia becoming involved.
If this were to happen this would likely officially trigger the beginning of a third World War, with the obvious threat of nuclear weapons coming into play — and we all know where that would leave the world afterwards.
Analysts have outlined that this is less likely to happen than some of the other options – especially considering the continued threat of mutually assured destruction when it comes to nuclear conflict – but it's not an impossibility and cannot be entirely ruled out.
What's almost guaranteed though is that there won't be an end of the conflict in the immediate future, with tensions continuing in some form for far longer than both sides would likely want.
