{"id":15074370,"date":"2026-03-27T12:02:48","date_gmt":"2026-03-27T16:02:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/bbc-expert-predicts-trump-will-escalate-iran-war-as-conflict-hits-inflection-point\/"},"modified":"2026-03-29T01:04:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-29T05:04:50","slug":"bbc-expert-predicts-trump-will-escalate-iran-war-as-conflict-hits-inflection-point","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/bbc-expert-predicts-trump-will-escalate-iran-war-as-conflict-hits-inflection-point\/","title":{"rendered":"BBC Expert Predicts Trump Will 'Escalate' Iran War As Conflict Hits 'Inflection Point'"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"PresidentPresident Donald Trump speaks with reporters during the swearing in ceremony for Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in the Oval Office of the White House, Tuesday, March 24, 2026, in Washington.<\/div>\n
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The BBC\u2019s<\/a> international editor predicted that Donald Trump <\/a>will end up \u201cescalating\u201d his war with Iran<\/a> as the conflict hits an \u201cinflection point\u201d.<\/p>\n

The US president has promised to postpone his plans to start destroying Iranian<\/a> energy plants by another 10 days, claiming his negotiations with Tehran are going \u201cvery well\u201d.<\/p>\n

Iran is yet to publicly respond to Trump\u2019s claims.<\/p>\n

The US sent Iran a 15-point peace plan earlier this week, while Tehran has sent back its own proposals for a ceasefire.<\/p>\n

But international expert Jeremy Bowen was not convinced either side would be able to reach a compromise.<\/p>\n

He told Radio 4\u2032s Today<\/a> programme:\u00a0\u201cThe Iranians are people who are interested in a deal, but it has to be a deal they would like.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we\u2019ve heard so far about Trump\u2019s 15-point plan is that, certainly the version that was leaked from Israeli sources, actually read more like a surrender document.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt had everything in it that the US and Israel have always asked of Iran, demanded from Iran.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Iran\u2019s counter proposals then suggested ideas the other side couldn\u2019t accept \u2013 which means it\u2019ll be exceptionally hard to reach an agreement.<\/p>\n

Pointing to the two detachments of US marines which are currently on their way to the Middle East, Bowen said: \u201cIncreasingly it is looking as if, if there isn\u2019t a deal, Trump will escalate, maybe take one of the strategic islands in the Gulf.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople talk a lot about inflection points, but it feels like that at the moment, because if they cannot do a deal, and Iran\u2019s big card is the control of the Strait of Hormuz \u2013 which is [applying] great economic pressure \u2013 if they can\u2019t do that, what can Donald Trump do?<\/p>\n

\u201cHe will feel he has to escalate. And escalating will mean involving these troops.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bowen also warned that the US has made \u201ca lot of mistakes in the way they look at Iran\u201d, because it is an \u201cinstitution\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe reason why the regime has proved to be so resilient is, unlike Libya under Gaddafi, it has these institutions, it is not based on individuals,\u201d the expert said.<\/p>\n

Former MI6 chief,\u00a0Sir John Sawers, also claimed Trump was caught between a rock and a hard place right now.<\/p>\n

He told the Today programme: \u201cTrump could have declared a unilateral victory two weeks ago and walked away.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut now with the Strait of Hormuz closed, it\u2019s very difficult for him to claim credible victory without some movement on the Iranian side.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said he does not believe these negotiations will \u201cprosper\u201d, especially as the US has not proved to be a \u201cvery reliable interlocutor for the Iranians\u201d.<\/p>\n

He added that negotiations usually take weeks, but the president is clearly \u201cin a bit of a hurry\u201d to get any deal over the line because of the damage the war is doing to the US economy.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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