The United States and Israel have launched strikes on Iran, targeting its leadership and plunging the Middle East into a new conflict.
Tehran responded by launching missiles at Israel and US interests in neighbouring Gulf states.
Speaking from Washington DC, Ali Vaez - Iran Project Director with the International Crisis Group - told Behind the Story he is concerned there is no US plan, no clear strategy on what happens next.
Earlier, US President Donald Trump had suggested that when the time is right, the Iranian people could rise up.
However, Mr Vaez said it is hard to see how that would happen.
"Even if the regime is significantly degraded or collapses, one has to remember that the Iranian people are unarmed, fragmented and lack organisation to be able to take over the task of governance," he said.
"It is much more likely that in a scenario of regime collapse, that we end up in a situation of civil strife - or a situation in which a more radicalised element of the existing regime... would take over.
"This is why the scenarios that the regime would collapse when the US interferes from above, and people finish the job from below, really amounts to wishful thinking."
Economic concerns
Mr Vaez said the impact of these attacks could be far reaching on the global economy.
"Energy markets are certainly going to be shocked when the markets open on Monday," he said.
"That is going to have an impact on the American people's purchasing power in an election year."
Mr Vaez said other countries will also feel the hit in the form of energy prices.
"There is no doubt that if this conflict continues and further escalates, that Iran will start also targeting energy infrastructure and energy shipments out of this region," he said.
"That is certainly going to increase the insurance premiums throughout the region and jack up energy prices globally.
"That would have an inflationary impact in the west and especially in the United States – which is precisely what the Iranians are counting on for President Trump to back out.
"The more this goes on, the more the globally economy will pay for it."
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