‘Not Losing’ Has Different Meanings for Iran and the U.S.

The Wall Street Journal ^ | March 23, 2026 1:21 pm ET | Gerard Bake

[E. Pluribus Unum]

When an Irish Republican Army bomber came within a few feet of assassinating Margaret Thatcher in a hotel room in Brighton, England, in 1984, the terrorist group acknowledged the attempt with an official statement.

“Today we were unlucky,” it said in a declaration addressed directly to the British prime minister. “But, remember, we only have to be lucky once. You have to be lucky every time.”

Blood-chilling and callous as its language was (the bomb killed five members of the governing Conservative Party), the boast was a brutally accurate meditation on the nature of asymmetric warfare. In conflicts between two sides that are unmatched militarily, such as wars by terrorists against states, the combatants have very different objectives, methods and tactics.

Typically the weaker side has a much lower bar for success than the stronger one. It needs only to “get lucky” every now and then to undermine the resolve and weaken the defense of the stronger party.

Terrorist nations fight asymmetrically too. It is a lesson the U.S.—which, with its unrivaled military power, only ever fights asymmetric wars in the 21st century—should have learned by now. But as the war in Iran continues, it seems that we are again relearning as we go.

The fundamental asymmetry is this: Iran, like earlier enemies, can’t—and doesn’t need to—beat the overwhelmingly superior forces of the U.S. and Israel in a straight fight. It can instead exploit the imbalance, turning the difference in tactics and goals to its own advantage.

In the first few weeks of the war we have seen how Iran has managed its tactical and materiel inferiority to some effect. Even as its major military capabilities have been all but wiped out, it has shored up its defense through the agile use of cheap...

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TOPICS: Foreign Affairs
KEYWORDS: literallytrumpler; reselectjoebiden; tdsjournos

[madprof98]

The WSJ used to be an American publication. I gather some hostile nation now controls it and directs its rancid output.

[Flavious_Maximus]

Stupid article by a limp wristed metrosexual Gerard Bake.

The IRGC has no Navy, no Air Force, no money, no water, no leadership, no way to prevent munitions from falling on their heads. They are practically at the USA-Israel mercy. And it’s only been a few weeks of bombardment.

Soon, the remnants of the IRGC will be at the mercy of the Iranian people.

This has NEVER been a true war against competing forces, it has always been about shooting fish in a barrel. Now the question is what to do about the IRGC cadavers.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The WSJ used to be an American publication. I gather some hostile nation now controls it and directs its rancid output.

That's a very cogent and penetrating rebuttal of the author's reasoning.

You must be a highly intelligent individual.

[stanne]

I got vertigo trying to read this

It’s a twisted brainwash

He doesn’t make an hypothesis. You have to go through to the end to find out what side he’s on. T five paragraphs were enough for me. I already knownif it takes that long

Is he comparing Trump to Sinn Fein? Margaret thatcher is the ayatollah? Trump is Thatcher?

The IRA was denounced by the practicing Catholic women of Dublin for using disgusting tactics

But they never decapitated anyone for not renouncing their religion

Iran gets a nuke and that’s what’ll start happening.

[ansel12]

“”””“But, remember, we only have to be lucky once. You have to be lucky every time.”””””

That is a truism, and when it applies, then if at all possible you have to erase that threat until there is no ‘we’ left to keep trying.

[NorthMountain]

Soon, the remnants of the IRGC will be at the mercy of the Iranian people.

1) That is very much to be hoped for. But hope is not a plan ...

2) The Islamic Revolution (and its components, IRGC, Ayatollahs, Basij, etc.) needs only to continue existing, to claim "victory" of sorts.

3) "Victory" of sorts on their part is not, IMHO, an acceptable outcome.

[MotorCityBuck]

Military summary Channel

https://youtu.be/NHXAVdspkcE?si=0FOk9ztKPI6Xhg7O

[Macoozie]

The easy solution would be to kill every living thing in the country. Man, Woman, Yet to Decide, Child, Dog, Cat, Mooselimb Rat Bastard, . . .
Everything.

But America won’t do that.
Not yet, anyway.

So they have that going for them.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

The easy solution would be to kill every living thing in the country. Man, Woman, Yet to Decide, Child, Dog, Cat, Mooselimb Rat Bastard, . . . Everything. But America won’t do that. Not yet, anyway. So they have that going for them.

Yeah, that's not evil or anything.

[gibsonguy]

WSJ is run by Trump hating children now and it shows.

[E. Pluribus Unum]

Iran is a 600,000 square mile mountain fortress, and the IRCG has been fortifying it for decades.

They can launch hundreds of missiles from hundreds of locations simultaneously.

That’s why they US Navy is nowhere near the Strait of Hormuz, and has no intention of going there.

[SeeSharp]

Maybe they shouldn’t have targeted the Iron Lady. It was Thatcher’s relationship with Regan that brought the US to finally start cracking down on Irish-American support for the IRA.

[NorthMountain]

They can launch hundreds of missiles from hundreds of locations simultaneously.

Correction: they used to be able to launch hundreds of missiles from hundreds of locations simultaneously. Some modifications have been made to their vaunted "mountain fortress".

You've been listening to Tehran Ted too much ...

[elpadre]

I understand the the Koran provides instructions for Muslims dealing from an inferior position.

[marktwain]

The IRA never had a homeland where all their power structures could be eliminated by a superior force.

The Theocracy has such positions. It is being systematically destroyed by the United States and Israel. It appears the USA will control virtually all the oil coming out of Iran.

It is hard to see how the Theocracy remains much of a threat after that.

[spintreebob]

You don’t understand the nature of asymetric combat.
One terrorist can blow up a crowd at March Madness, or politicians at a toney restaurant in DC and Immediately they have the advantage over Trump as it is Trump’s fault that the terrorists had to resort to this. And the MSM will repeatedly tell us it is Trump’s fault and the result of Trump’s war.

[Who is John Galt?]

‘Not Losing’ Has Different Meanings for Iran and the U.S.

Yes, indeed...

[Tallguy]

“The IRGC has no Navy...”

That organization controls the small missile boats. So, yes, the IRGC has a navy of sorts.

[BenLurkin]

All I get out of it is that IRA and Iran are both evil.