The Iran War at the Crossroads

American Greatness ^ | 29 Jul. 2026 | Victor Davis Hanson

[MtnClimber]

Iran’s rulers are not playing to win the war today—they are playing to survive long enough to fight another one tomorrow.

We are now in Stage III of the Iran War: the familiar monotony of bomb, talk, bomb.

It is now the liberal consensus that the war has failed, if not been won by Iran.

We could be entering the war’s final stage, marked by an effort to escalate decisively before disengaging.

We know the tired Iranian strategy by now. We might call it “theocratic rope-a-dope.” For the theocrats and their terrorist proxies, survival means outlasting Trump, waiting for the next cash-laden Democratic administration, and using “moderates” to play good cop while haggling away months.

The mullahs and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps feign indifference even as their half-century, half-trillion-dollar investments in what is now essentially a vaporized military-industrial-nuclear complex continue to be destroyed.

The war has finally revealed the full extent of Iran’s vast conventional arsenal, nuclear program, and missile and drone industry.

These munitions proved far more numerous and deadlier than experts had imagined. The regime had poured much of its GDP into conventional arms, missiles, drones, and its nuclear program in hopes of dominating the Gulf, holding Israel beneath a nuclear sword of Damocles, and eventually bringing European cities within range of nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles.

The Islamic government shows no real concern for the attendant suffering of its own 93 million people. In the theocrats’ view, it matters little whether 1,000 civilians die as collateral damage from allied bombing or 36,000 are murdered by their own government. All that concerns these corrupt grandees is preserving their own comfort amid the rubble.

The Iranian zealots are counting on the Trump administration to withdraw, thereby avoiding a two-year-long impeachment and lawfare circus while preserving the Republican House majority.

---

TOPICS: Military/Veterans; Society
KEYWORDS: epicfury; hamas; hezbollah; iran; irgc; jewhatersonfr; joooooooooooooooooos; koranimals; mullahloversonfr; multiplenicks; trump; vdh; victordavishanson; waronterror; yemen

[Alberta's Child]

I've read your profile, you really hate this country ...

I honestly don't believe you can even read, if you're posting something this 'effing stupid.

[Varsity Flight]

“” If women would stay at home or only travel outside with male relatives, they would be far safer”

Married women.

The rest safely in the Christ centered churches.

[central_va]

There are only two sides. If any conflict was a clearcut evil vs good this is the one. There is no middle ground.

Which side are you on?

[Gunslingr3]

Trump started this war at Israel’s request without establishing public support, and critically without the authorization of Congress

Opinions masquerading as fact

It is a fact that the Congress has not authorized military force against Iran. If you think otherwise, please provide the relevant measure passed by Congress. Otherwise, stop lying on FreeRepublic, it's unbecoming.

It is a fact that the White House publicly promoted the fact that Israel requested the US attack Iran. It was put online by the White House.

Maybe you're not a liar, maybe you're just really, really ignorant. But now you've been shown the truth, so if you say again that we didn't do this because Israel asked us to everyone will know you're just a liar and shill for foreign interests.

[Gunslingr3]

What people are missing is why Trump decided to be all in preemptively.

What people are missing is that isn't the President's call.

If he thinks in 5 years that Iran will do something, then he can ask the Congress for authorization, but he is currently violating the law and the Constitution to wage this war on behalf of Israel.

It's tanking his popularity, and Israel's.

[Gunslingr3]

Trump started this war at Israel’s request

Will you stop? Are you totally unaware that Iran has been at war with the US for forty years?

I'm NEVER going to stop pointing out that Trump started this war on behalf of Israel.

NEVER.

You can always spot the ignorant warmongers, because they think our foreign relations with Iran started in 1979. They give the game away every time when they don't mention the CIA coup in 1953 against Iran's democratic government and its disastrous aftermath.

[central_va]

If that is true then I personally approve of this action even more. God bless Israel and the USA.

[bobbo666]

1) drop millions of small arms to the citizens. Let the families of the 40,000 murdered demonstrators hunt down all IRGC members
2) bomb all roads leading into Iran. Cut them off from everything.
3) close all Iran airports. Cut them off.
4) cut every type of communication link in&out. Cut them off from all banks and means to get/move money.

Get medieval on these arseholes.

Not the populace, the 90M Persians. Go after the ones in control. Pretend the same is needed for the US Fed gov’mt. What do you hit? And families are not immune.

[cowboyusa]

He can do what he wants , and should. Getting tired of this argument.wr can fight to win.

[cowboyusa]

The public is against an endless half War, you are correct.

[cowboyusa]

You talk about what has happened, but you offer no solutions. People are against this War, because it is a half War. For the 20th time.”, the War should have been over in early April.

[cowboyusa]

You sound like a Leftist. We were fighting the USSR on the Cold War at the time.

[cowboyusa]

If President Trump had fought the War the right way, you would have NOTHING to talk about.

[McGruff]

Trump went into this war thinking Iran would be another Venezuela. He’s finding out he was dead wrong.

[Gunslingr3]

He can do what he wants , and should.

What a bootlicker mentality.

You don't want a Republic, much less a free one.

[cowboyusa]

I want to preserve and the Republic, and crush the left before it destroys it, that’s my fight. This is a death war, get ready or step aside.

[MikelTackNailer]

Your tagline:(If I leave here, it’s because I’m tired of arguing with geriatric parrots wearing MAGA hats.)

My boy here couldn't find tiny lettering for
his MAGA hat so this will have to do.

[Alberta's Child]

If any conflict was a clearcut evil vs good this is the one.

LOL.

[Alberta's Child]

You’re asking to present “solutions,” but you don’t even know what the problem is.

[cowboyusa]

The problem is a lingering War that should have been over in April.