When the US and Israel attacked, Iran was able to leverage this strategic depth to retaliate immediately against targets across the region, including US allies, military bases and forward-deployed assets. Thanks to Iran, allies that once enabled the US to project power in the Middle East now have a strong incentive to restrain it. This should have dispelled any doubt that Iran could retaliate against US forces with precision and without fear of immediate retribution. With this strategy, Iran has turned the US’ greatest strength — its global military footprint — into a source of vulnerability. The US waged war on Iran with a framework honed against weaker, more isolated adversaries.

Source: Taipei Times April 07, 2026 16:52 UTC