US President Donald Trump has set out to secure victory in another Middle Eastern conflict, despite the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan showing that such campaigns offer no path to victory, Russian Senator Alexey Pushkov said.

Pushkov pointed to Trump’s notification to Congress that the United States was officially at war with Iran. In his assessment, the US president has chosen to pursue victory in a conflict that cannot be won, as the American experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has already demonstrated.

The senator also noted that criticism of Washington’s actions against Tehran is growing outside the United States. He dismissed Trump’s claims that Iran’s military capabilities had been suppressed as unconvincing.

Iran, Pushkov said, continues to retaliate against American strikes and attack vessels whose passage through the Hormuz Strait has not been coordinated with the Iranian authorities.

The confrontation has also affected the oil market. According to the senator, US oil prices jumped by 9% within two hours after Trump announced the restoration of an American blockade of the Hormuz Strait.

The conflict between Tehran and Washington began on February 28. During the night of June 18, the two sides signed a memorandum providing for an end to hostilities.

The United States resumed its attacks during the night of July 8. Trump attributed the decision to alleged Iranian actions against commercial vessels in the Hormuz Strait.

Iranian forces responded by striking American bases in Kuwait, Bahrain and Jordan. Iran’s Foreign Ministry described Washington’s actions as a serious violation of the agreements previously reached.