Skirmishes in Iran war leading to probable escalation - Ali

With diplomacy stalled, casualties mounting and military operations continuing to expand, analysts say the conflict has reached a pivotal moment where additional escalation is becoming increasingly likely.

"If these operations continue between Iran and the U.S., it is likely that there could be an escalation beyond the current pattern, whether through deliberate planning or the unintended consequences of one side attacking the other," said Javed Ali, a former counterterrorism official in the federal government and associate professor of practice at the University of Michigan.