By The South Asia Times

WASHINGTON - US intelligence agencies believe six months of war have left Iran more confident in its ability to withstand American pressure and continue fighting, according to a New York Times report published Friday.

The intelligence assessment comes as clashes have resumed this week, with US officials warning that Tehran’s leadership may be considering a significant escalation of the conflict.

According to people familiar with the assessments cited by the newspaper, Iran has become increasingly confident in its ability to strike targets across the Middle East and appears prepared to prolong the conflict in an effort to frustrate Washington.

The assessments also suggest that reaching a negotiated settlement could prove difficult, with current and former US officials saying there are few signs that Tehran is prepared to accept a deal with Washington.

Some US officials believe Iran could seek to maintain the conflict until at least the November midterm elections, calculating that prolonged fighting and elevated energy prices could create political difficulties for President Donald Trump and Republicans.

Trump has not been actively pursuing negotiations, according to the report, as his administration believes economic pressure can force Tehran to make concessions over the Strait of Hormuz and eventually its nuclear program.

US officials, however, have warned that intensified sanctions could instead trigger further escalation.

The Strait of Hormuz has emerged as one of Tehran’s most important sources of leverage. The strategic waterway carried roughly one-fifth of global oil supplies before the conflict.

Iran’s military calculations appear increasingly shaped by its missile and drone capabilities and its ability to use the Strait of Hormuz as leverage.

Representative Jason Crow, a Colorado Democrat and member of the House Intelligence Committee, said Iranian leaders appeared increasingly confident despite having suffered significant damage during the war.

“They’re feeling pretty bullish about their position,” Crow said, according to The New York Times.

Another Intelligence Committee member, Representative Josh Gottheimer, said Iranian leaders believe they currently have significant leverage over Washington.

US officials also believe Tehran may calculate that Washington faces constraints on launching major new attacks as its ammunition stocks decline.

The conflict has also expanded into cyberspace.

US officials believe Iran-linked hackers were probably behind attacks targeting more than 100 American water systems in late July, according to the report. The attacks did not appear to contaminate drinking water, although some caused disruptions that required manual intervention and precautionary boil-water advisories.

Iranian-linked cyber operators have also shown interest in US oil and gas infrastructure, according to American officials.

Former intelligence officials and cybersecurity experts told the newspaper that Iranian hackers may have regrouped after suffering losses earlier in the conflict.

Cyberattacks could remain attractive to Tehran because even relatively limited disruptions could increase public frustration over a war with no clear end, they said.

Alex Orleans, a former US government cybersecurity contractor who tracks Iranian hacking groups, said Iran’s cyber operators were likely becoming more confident. Even unsuccessful attacks, he said, could potentially serve Tehran’s broader objective of weakening American public support for the conflict.

US officials have also identified Iranian efforts to influence the American political environment through propaganda and social media activity, including material related to the upcoming midterm elections.

Meta recently identified a small network of Iran-based accounts on Facebook and Instagram that posted content focused on US politics.

The intelligence assessments portray an Iranian government that has suffered substantial military damage but does not consider itself defeated.

Instead, US intelligence believes Tehran may now be calculating that it can absorb further punishment, preserve important military capabilities and continue imposing economic, military and political costs on the United States and its allies.

The assessment could complicate Washington’s efforts to bring the six-month conflict to an end, while increasing concerns that renewed fighting could develop into a broader regional confrontation.