A University of Kentucky professor says projecting a timeline for the U.S. war with Iran is difficult due to a lack of specific objectives.President Donald Trump says attacks on Iran are likely to last four to five weeks, but he has said he is prepared to go longer. The war, which started Saturday, has expanded on multiple fronts as Israel and the US have pounded Iran, while Tehran and its allies have hit back.Dr. Robert Farley from the University of Kentucky's Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce addressed the conflict's impact."I don't think anyone knows how long this war is going to last," Farley said.Farley cited a lack of specific objectives as a key reason projecting a timeline is difficult."Associated with regime change, or the destruction of the nuclear program or the destruction of Iran's military and so that makes it really hard to guess how long it's going to be before we have to stop blowing up things," Farley said.Trump said he has not ruled out sending ground troops into Iran. Farley addressed that possibility."It's not obvious whether we need them or not, four to five weeks is not enough time to put together an army that could contemplate seizing all of the centers in Iran," Farley said.On the third day of the war, the price of benchmark crude oil rose between 7 and 9 percent. Farley pointed to rising gas prices as one impact of the war at home."But also everything else that requires transit, the airline industry is super sensitive to fuel prices," Farley said.Farley also noted specific consequences for those in the Commonwealth of Kentucky."A ton of people in Kentucky have significant investments, significant connections with the Gulf monarchies...those are gonna be affected right away because Iran is bombing the Gulf monarchies right now, it's firing drones, missiles, will probably conduct terrorism at some point," Farley said. ...read more read less