From Foreign Policy · Gil Barndollar, Jason Dempsey · · 3m
Myths of Battlefield Triumph
U.S. military's belief in quick wins undermines Iran war strategy.
In brief
U.S. military's belief in quick wins undermines Iran war strategy. U.S. military's focus on battlefield tactics over strategy has failed in Afghanistan and Iran. Originally reported by Foreign Policy.
U.S. military's Iran war strategy
U.S. President Donald Trump promised quick and decisive results in launching his war on Iran, but more than six months later, Iran remains unbowed despite thousands of airstrikes and destroyed air force and navy.
Default military failure narrative
Washington's default narrative for military failures is triumph forsaken: the U.S. can still defeat Iran if it has the will and endurance to endure more pain and launch more missiles.
Retired General Jack Keane
Retired U.S. Army Gen. Jack Keane claimed the U.S. military has the capability to end the Iran conflict if it desires to do so.
Triumph forsaken history
Triumph forsaken is an old military trope, seen in Vietnam War revisionist accounts, where any defeat is viewed as a lost victory due to material conditions and numerical calculations.
U.S. military strength
Since World War II, the U.S. has never fought a peer or near-peer military adversary, yet Washington has repeatedly lost wars despite this massive power imbalance.
Hegseth's military approach
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth promoted a 'gloves-off' approach to warfare, claiming the U.S. military should ignore rules of engagement and laws of war for maximum lethality.
Hegseth's actions
Hegseth fired military lawyers and defunded the Pentagon office that reduces harm to innocent bystanders in conflict.
Iranian resolve
The horrific deaths of over 100 schoolchildren in Minab on the first day of the Iran war hardened Iranian resolve, pushing even some regime opponents into public nationalism.
Iranian military shift
A young Iranian entrepreneur, beaten during 2022 protests, joined the military after his uncle's house was destroyed and he feared his girlfriend was killed.
Trump's escalation threats
Trump continues to declare victory while threatening to escalate the Iran conflict, most recently with a massive bombing campaign after the midterm elections.
Hegseth's academic reforms
Hegseth signed a one-page memo ending tenure for civilian faculty at U.S. military academies, prioritizing training over education for future military leaders.
Joint Warfighter Evaluation
Hegseth imposed a new hurdle for future generals and admirals: a Joint Warfighter Evaluation testing tactical decision-making and lethality.
Afghanistan war lessons
In Afghanistan, U.S. forces killed Taliban fighters at a ratio of more than 20 to 1, but the U.S. withdrew in defeat after less than 20 years.
U.S. military failures
The U.S. military has suffered costly defeats since the 1991 Gulf War, embracing extreme belligerence paired with strategic fecklessness.
Consequence of military myths
Hegseth's delusions of a 'lethal, proud, and undefeated force' will do more damage to American national security than any Iranian missile.
In short
U.S. military's focus on battlefield tactics over strategy has failed in Afghanistan and Iran.
