Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, said the US may be misunderstanding Iran’s strategy in the ongoing conflict. Elmasry said Iran believes it still has leverage and is prepared for a long struggle. He argued that US hopes of creating a major oil storage crisis in Iran are “greatly exaggerated”. According to Elmasry, Iran has been finding new ways to bypass restrictions and continue oil shipments. He pointed to an Iranian report using satellite tracking data which claimed that 52 ships managed to bypass the US blockade within 72 hours. He said Iran could likely continue resisting for “at least two or three months, if not longer”. Elmasry also warned that a prolonged conflict could seriously damage both the American and global economies. The analyst added that Iran sees the conflict as a fight for survival and is willing to accept major economic hardship rather than agree to demands from Donald Trump.