Afghanistan, March 25 -- British weekly The Economist says the United States now faces a difficult choice in the Iran war, warning that both escalation and ending the conflict on current terms could be seen as a failure.

The analysis says Washington is approaching a critical stage, where decision-making has become more complicated as military, political and economic risks continue to grow.

According to the report, President Donald Trump faces two costly paths: ending the conflict before key goals are achieved, or expanding military action and risking a longer, more damaging war.

The magazine says some governments may view a limited end to the conflict as a political retreat, while others doubt whether recent talk of diplomacy reflects a ...