After five decades of conflict, Iran under the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei constituted a “clear and present danger” to the West. The notion proffered by some that there needed to be an imminent threat to trigger military action only invites future tragedy. With this said, while the administration’s decision to attack Iran appears to be justified, it appears to have lacked strategic vision and failed to adequately prepare for predictable outcomes, including Iran’s efforts to impede traffic through the strait.

Iran’s response to the U.S. and Israeli attacks confirms its resourcefulness and unrelenting commitment to self-preservation and regional hegemony. If permitted to reconstitute, there is little doubt that it will do so with vigor and tenaciousness in concert with its coterie of allies, who have demonstrated their continued willingness to support the regime. 

Although Russia, China, and North Korea appear to have exercised some restraint to date, we can expect that they will expand their assistance as the regime moves to rebuild its capabilities from the ashes. As a result, simply declaring victory without substantive progress on the issues will result in significant future danger.