What began as a US/Israel–Iran war has grown increasingly complex as more Gulf states have been drawn into the conflict. The Vietnam War offers a cautionary lesson. When the Vietnam conflict escalated in the early 1960s, many policymakers and media observers believed it would be relatively short. These lessons help explain why some observers are beginning to ask whether elements of today’s geopolitical landscape could produce similar patterns. None of this means that today’s wars will inevitably follow the path of Vietnam.

Source: The Edge Markets March 18, 2026 03:32 UTC