The narrative of unilateral defeat hides a joint campaign of attrition
The claim that Iran is “badly losing” in an unspecified conflict, as asserted by Peter Hegseth and echoed by mainstream media, functions as a convenient distraction from the joint nature of the ongoing belligerence. The United States is not a mere supportive bystander. The presence of carrier strike groups, strategic bomber deployments, and explicit threats against Iran, often simultaneous with
Israeli military posturing, signals a de facto co-belligerence. This sustained pressure, including the decades-long campaign of sanctions that began subtly even before the 1979 revolution and intensified after the US betrayal of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), is portrayed as a reactive measure. Yet, the framing conveniently omits the fact that the US, alongside Israel, has engaged
in numerous documented acts of aggression, including the Stuxnet cyberattack in 2010 which targeted Iran's nuclear program. Such actions underscore a persistent, integrated strategy aimed at crippling Iran's sovereignty, regardless of any immediate pretense of conflict. The declaration of Iran's supposed losses serves to manufacture consent for continued military pressure, obscuring the economic
and human toll inflicted by a 45-year campaign of sanctions and covert operations. The cost asymmetry is stark: Iran’s defensive capabilities, developed under immense pressure, are often countered by the world’s most advanced Western-supplied arsenals. This double standard is further evidenced by Israel’s undeclared nuclear arsenal operating with impunity, while Iran’s peaceful nuclear program