"Mr Trump has found out that starting a war without a coalition of the willing is easier than finishing one with it. Along with Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, the US president started with an illegal attack on Iran in which the country's supreme leader was assassinated. American forces have established overwhelming military superiority."
"Iran knows that it cannot beat the US in a conventional war. Its strategy is to make the war impossible to sustain. So it widens the war attacking US military bases in the Gulf, choking off Hormuz tanker traffic and sending shockwaves through energy markets. In a strait that carries about 20% of global oil trade, even a handful of mines can shut it down."
"No wonder allies balk at fighting what the Pentagon chief, Pete Hegseth, proudly calls a politically incorrect war. Mr Trump's argument is that countries that depend on Gulf oil should help secure the strait. But many are cautious and for good reason. Naval escorts would come under fire from Iran's drones, missiles and swi"
Trump and Netanyahu initiated military action against Iran, including the assassination of Iran's supreme leader, establishing overwhelming American military superiority. By selectively targeting military installations while sparing oil facilities, the US signals economic devastation capability without full implementation, pressuring Tehran to negotiate. However, Iran counters through asymmetric warfare: attacking US bases, disrupting Strait of Hormuz shipping carrying 20% of global oil trade, and destabilizing energy markets. This strategy transforms the conflict from military to political, exploiting allied hesitation. NATO members, particularly Germany, refuse participation, citing this as not their war. Britain remains noncommittal. Trump's demand for allied naval support faces resistance due to vulnerability to Iranian drones and missiles, revealing that military superiority alone cannot sustain conflict without coalition backing.
#us-iran-conflict #nato-alliance-tensions #strait-of-hormuz #asymmetric-warfare-strategy #global-oil-markets
Read at www.theguardian.com
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