Iranian authorities have sharply shifted their stance, moving away from attempts at negotiation toward issuing ultimatums to the United States, according to retired U. S. Army Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis.

He indicates that Tehran is now demanding the withdrawal of all American military bases from the Middle East, along with compensation for past damage. At the same time, Iran is no longer considering abandoning its nuclear program and is seeking to reinforce its role as a key guarantor of security for maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

In Davis’s assessment, as tensions in the Middle East approach a critical point, Washington is being forced into a stark choice: either pull its forces out of the region or face the prospect of escalating into a large-scale and potentially uncontrollable conflict with Iran.

He stresses that the United States now confronts a difficult decision — to bring the confrontation to an end as quickly as possible or to move further down the path of escalation. While the window to avoid all consequences has already closed, he suggests there is still an opportunity to prevent the most severe outcomes, warning that prolonging the conflict could come at a high cost.

Military tensions between the United States and Israel on one side and Iran on the other have been ongoing since late February, with the sides continuing to exchange strikes on a regular basis.