German Middle East analyst Guido Steinberg: We should prepare for war between the U.S. and Iran

Guido Steinberg says the world should be preparing for an armed conflict between the United States and Iran.

"If this goes on as it has been going on for two months now we will see a military escalation before the end of the Trump administration's military escalation," he told Sarah Kelly on DW News.

Steinberg said he is convinced that Iran was behind the suspected attacks on Thursday on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman.

"It is an Iranian model modus operandi to use limpet mines and to show the United States that they have opportunities to attack the flow of oil in the Persian Gulf and the Straits of Hormuz. But at the same time they are not attacking directly. I think there are clear signs that the Iranians are responsible."

This comes as the U.S. military released footage that it says shows Iranian forces removing an unexploded mine from one of the damaged ships. But Iran has denied attacking the tankers and said it had assisted in the rescue operation.

Guido Steinberg is one of Germany's foremost experts on terrorism and affairs in the Middle East. He works for the Berlin-based German Institute for International and Security Affairs and has previously worked for the German Federal Chancellery as an advisor on international terrorism.    (Deutsche Welle)