Don't Ask How This War Ends
During the 2003 Iraq War, then–Major General David Petraeus famously said to the journalist and historian Rick Atkinson, “Tell me how this ends.” It is the obvious query to be posed about the conflict with Iran, but it requires a different answer.
TL;DR
- The conflict with Iran is a continuation of hostilities since the 1979 revolution, not a new war.
- Key events like the Hamas attack, Israeli counteroffensive against Hezbollah, and Iranian missile assaults have expanded the violence.
- The war's deep historical and religious roots make reconciliation unlikely, and its end is tied to the collapse or transformation of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
- The conflict has fundamentally altered the strategic environment, making a return to the previous status quo impossible.
- Mutual misunderstandings and the complex relationships between larger powers and their clients add layers of difficulty to the conflict.
- The war demonstrates a new face of asymmetric warfare, involving drones, missile barrages, and international support from Russia and China.