Iran’s Military Successes Undermine Trump’s Political Standing
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, the past week witnessed a pivotal military confrontation in the 21st century. What was initially conceived as a limited punitive operation by the United States against Iran transformed into a significant event for redefining the power equilibrium in West Asia. Contrary to initial assumptions of absolute American military superiority, Iran’s armed forces, employing a multi-layered and coordinated strategy, not only resisted CENTCOM’s military pressure but also seized control of the battlefield through eight key strategic successes.
These successes, ranging from control over the Strait of Hormuz to the exposure of embarrassing U.S. casualties, have had repercussions extending beyond military engagement, directly shaking the political standing of Donald Trump within the United States and the nation’s international hegemony.
1. Full Control of the Strait of Hormuz: The World’s Energy Lifeline in Tehran’s Grasp
From the initial hours of the U.S. attacks on Iran’s coastlines in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz, as well as several Iranian cities in the central and northern regions, Iran’s armed forces identified the Strait of Hormuz as the “master key” to the war’s equation. CENTCOM deployed troops, equipment, and naval fleets to secure this vital passage, through which millions of barrels of oil flow daily. However, Iran’s strategy of asymmetric naval warfare, intelligent mining, the deployment of a large fleet of IRGC speedboats equipped with suitable missiles, kamikaze and reconnaissance drones, and mobile defense tactics, effectively placed the U.S. Navy and ground forces in a defensive and reactive posture.
Iran’s success in effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz by establishing a no-go zone and designating a safe transit route through targeting commercial and military vessels affiliated with U.S. allies delivered a severe blow to the global economy. Oil prices surged past $90 per barrel in global markets following these events. If this trend continues, it will directly impact Trump’s voter base in America’s industrial and agricultural states, where soaring gasoline and commodity prices will incite public anger against the White House’s “costly adventurism.” Trump, who consistently advocated “America First” and energy self-sufficiency, now faces an enraged populace witnessing the collapse of his economic promises and rising living costs. Globally, European and Asian allies dependent on Persian Gulf oil hold the White House primarily responsible for this crisis, amplifying whispers of strategic distrust in Washington’s security guarantees.
2. Military Control Over Regional Oil Production and Export Gates
Concurrently with its absolute dominance over the Strait of Hormuz, Iran leveraged its regional influence to effectively control several oil production and export terminals in the southern Persian Gulf countries through missile and drone strikes. For instance, some Kuwaiti oil facilities were targeted by kamikaze drones and pinpoint ballistic missiles. Iran’s message was clear: “If our oil cannot pass through the Strait of Hormuz, then the oil of none of our rivals will leave the region in the future.” This level of control placed Trump, who has close personal and business ties with the southern Persian Gulf Arabs, in a humiliating position. The inability of the most sophisticated American Patriot and THAAD systems to protect Washington’s partners raised questions among traditional U.S. allies in the Persian Gulf: is Washington’s security umbrella merely a futile expense and an empty promise? This doubt directly undermined Trump’s prestige as a “deal-making strongman” capable of protecting his allies.
3. Increased Rate of Iranian Missile Penetration: The Failure of Multi-Layered Defense Legend
One of the most astonishing aspects of this conflict was the remarkable performance of Iran’s military in breaching the enemy’s dense defensive layers. The multi-layered U.S. and Israeli air defense systems in the region were destroyed and rendered ineffective by Iran’s combined and intelligent barrages during the Ramadan war and subsequent clashes last week. Iranian missiles, with their high maneuverability and speeds exceeding interception capabilities, struck pre-determined targets deep within U.S. bases in Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain, and Jordan. The nearly 100% success rate in penetrating U.S. defenses in recent days was not only a technical achievement for Iran but also a reputational catastrophe for the American military-industrial complex. The exposure of the inadequacy of multi-million dollar systems against inexpensive Iranian-made missiles diminished the credibility of major American defense companies. Domestically, Congress and public opinion angrily question: “Where has hundreds of billions of dollars in defense spending gone?” This technical-military scandal mocks Trump’s narrative of “rebuilding the military” and “unprecedented American power,” making it difficult to persuade Congress to allocate more military funds to the Pentagon.
4. Effective Combined Operations of Iranian Drones: A Doctrine for the New Century
Iranian drones, over the past week and even prior, showcased the concept of “cheap and pervasive air power.” The tactic of “saturation drone swarming” alongside various cruise missiles exhausted and disabled enemy air defenses. Kamikaze drones, flying at very low altitudes, bypassed radar systems and destroyed U.S. command centers and ammunition depots. Simultaneously, reconnaissance drones provided real-time battlefield imagery, maximizing the accuracy of artillery and missile strikes. The brilliance of Iranian drones has altered military equations. This was the first instance where a regional power, without advanced classic air force, denied the U.S. temporary air superiority in operational areas. This success destabilized the global balance: dozens of countries unable to afford expensive American fighter jets now view Iran as a model for achieving security at a lower cost. This signifies a reduction in U.S. geopolitical influence and, consequently, the decline of Trump as a “successful military leader” whose traditional power tools have become ineffective.
5. Updating the Target Bank: From Guesswork to Precise Destruction
A hallmark of military maturity is intelligence accuracy. Over the past week, Iran demonstrated that years of intelligence work have resulted in an astonishingly updated and precise target bank. Unlike the scattered, fruitless, and repetitive U.S. attacks aimed at civilian casualties and infrastructure, Iran’s missiles and drones precisely targeted stealth fighter hangars, U.S. weapon depots at bases, and even the operational command rooms of CENTCOM. In some instances, infiltration into gathering points of U.S. mercenaries in western Iran and their capture, robbed Iran’s enemies of sleep. This lethal accuracy indicated that Iran not only knew fixed coordinates but also the movement patterns and rest times of American commanders and their hired mercenaries. This update has placed the U.S. in a complete intelligence passive position, overturning the security assumption that “we see everything, and they know nothing.” Trump, who always accused previous administrations of leaking military secrets, is now himself accused of intelligence weakness. Iran’s intelligence penetration has turned the White House into a security vulnerability where any decision is preemptively leaked in Tehran.
6. Continuous Barrage; Psychological and Material Attrition
Unlike classic armies reliant on complex logistical support for intermittent attacks, Iran demonstrated a unique capability for “continuous and heavy barrage.” Iran’s vast missile arsenal and dispersed, underground drone depots enabled uninterrupted strikes 24 hours a day. This tactic deprived American forces of sleep and rest, slowing their reactions. Various U.S. military bases, particularly in Jordan, Bahrain, and Kuwait, became “hell on earth” under the constant rain of guided missiles and drones. The psychological pressure from this continuous barrage, combined with the failure of air defenses, shattered the morale of American troops, and images of terrified American soldiers became a symbol of the defeat of the vanguard of the so-called world’s powerful army.
7. Diversity and Breadth of Operating Units; War on All Fronts
In this round of conflict, Iran coordinated the use of a portion of the Axis of Resistance’s capacity: from Hezbollah’s missile launches targeting the military infrastructure of the Zionist regime to Ansar Allah’s drone attacks on Saudi mercenaries, from the resistance front’s actions in Iraq against the U.S. to the activation of Shia lions in Bahrain. This diversity of actors confronted CENTCOM with a protracted, multi-front war, making it impossible to distinguish friend from foe and identify the operational center of gravity. This war model ridiculed America’s “limited war” theory, demonstrating that any conflict with Iran would ignite fires from all directions. This means Trump is trapped in a quagmire he cannot escape, cannot manage, and doesn’t even know where the main enemy is deployed.
8. Disclosure of Casualties and Air Defense Ineffectiveness: Earthquake in American Public Opinion
Iran’s most sensitive and perhaps most devastating success against Trump was the “soft war” operation and the revelation of realities. By overcoming strict U.S. military censorship, Iran disseminated high-quality footage of the impact of missiles and drones. The disclosure of American military casualties and injuries by Trump himself directly contradicted White House claims of “minor and trivial damages.” Simultaneously, the release of videos showing the repeated failure of advanced systems to intercept missiles and drones shattered the myth of the U.S. military’s invincibility forever. This psychological blow had two immediate consequences: First, domestically, public protests on social media, pressure from Democrats and even some Republicans to immediately cease hostilities, and the collapse of confidence in the supreme command have placed Trump in the worst possible position at the start of the Congressional mid-term election season. Increasing demands for “ending the war” from economic activists and political commentators signify a severe weakening of his political base. Second, globally, Arab leaders who secretly supported the attack on Iran, witnessing this weakness and disgrace, are desperately seeking solutions, experimenting with everything from contacting Tehran to finding alternative countries like Pakistan and making new arms purchases. U.S.-affiliated media, to control this embarrassment, have resorted to the scenario of the “imminent entry of the Israeli army into the conflict” as a trump card to divert attention from America’s ineffectiveness. However, these efforts signify the depth of desperation, not strength, as pleading with Israel to enter a war that America cannot manage is itself a bitter admission of a superpower’s defeat.
Conclusion: The Decline of Trump’s Star Amidst Chaos
Iran’s strategic successes last week are not merely tactical victories in a battle; they signify the decline of a world order and the gradual weakening of a political leadership style. Donald Trump, who came to power on the slogan of “peace through strength” and ending endless wars, has now initiated a war in which America finds itself in a position of absolute weakness. The failure to control the Strait of Hormuz destroyed Trump’s economic and military credibility. Control over oil transit routes discredited his security pacts with Arab allies. Missiles breaching air defenses mocked his military rhetoric. The victory of drones broke America’s arms monopoly. Iran’s precise target bank created an intelligence scandal. Continuous barrages paralyzed U.S. logistical capabilities. The breadth of Iran’s missile and drone units bewildered his army, and the disclosure of casualties shattered the morale of the American nation and its soldiers. Globally, allies and rivals alike are observing this bitter truth: Trump’s America is a paper tiger that can neither cross a strait, defend its allies, nor even protect its soldiers. The earthquake that occurred in Washington in recent days is not a fleeting military setback but the beginning of the decline of the hegemony that Trump claimed to renew. The architects of the White House today are grappling not with victory plans but with the nightmare of impeachment, economic collapse, and global isolation. This is the true nature of defeat against the will of a nation that has transformed the cost of resistance into gains based on steadfastness.”
