"My main expertise is in the past, but if I have to extrapolate into the future, I would say: no good news any time soon and an obvious exit strategy is not apparent to me"

Juan Cole's quote recommends that the current circumstance is not looking excellent which there is no clear path forward. He is indicating that the future is uncertain and that it is hard to anticipate what will occur. He is also suggesting that there is no apparent service to the present situation. This might be translated as a warning to be gotten ready for difficult times ahead and to be mindful that the future is unpredictable. It might likewise be translated as a call to action to discover a way out of the existing situation. In either case, it is clear that Juan Cole is not positive about the future and that he thinks that a clear exit method is not yet evident.