PNN – In a report, The Guardian states that the United States has failed to impose its demands on Iran through military means.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network; The Guardian has published an analysis examining the implications of the halt in US strikes against Iran; the newspaper argues that Donald Trump’s decision to suspend the attacks demonstrates Washington’s inability to impose its objectives on Iran by relying on military power.
Some of the key points of this report are as follows:
1- Acknowledging the Insufficiency of U.S. Military Power
The Guardian writes that Trump’s decision to halt the 13-day offensive effectively amounts to an admission that the U.S. cannot achieve its stated objectives regarding Iran through military means alone.
2- Shift in Calculations Due to Iranian Resistance
According to the British newspaper, the initial benchmark for assessing an Iranian victory was merely the survival of the regime; however, the Iranian government has now demonstrated that, despite months of military pressure, it has not only avoided collapse but—by maintaining control over the Strait of Hormuz—has altered the strategic calculations of the U.S. and its allies.
3- Shifting the Asymmetric Warfare Balance
The report emphasizes that by retaining a portion of its missile and drone capabilities and creating insecurity for shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, Iran has managed to exert effective pressure on the United States at a significantly lower cost, thereby shifting the balance of asymmetric warfare in its own favor.
4- High U.S. Costs without Achieving Objectives
The Guardian reports that the United States has spent at least $38 billion to date and expended over 1,000 Tomahawk missiles and 1,100 JASSM cruise missiles—an undertaking that has significantly depleted the nation’s strategic stockpiles without achieving the war’s objectives.
5- Iran’s Capitulation Is Impossible
Peter Ricketts, a former UK National Security Adviser, states that Iran cannot be compelled to accept US terms through bombing. According to him, Tehran is capable of withstanding pressure and—whenever necessary—imposing heavy economic costs on the US and global markets by threatening to close, or actually closing, the Strait of Hormuz.
6- Conclusion
An analysis by The Guardian indicates that, despite its military superiority, the US has failed to achieve strategic success against Iran; the cessation of attacks reflects the limitations of US military power in the face of Iran’s “resistance strategy” and deterrent capabilities, rather than signaling the fulfillment of Washington’s objectives.