IRAN: SUMMARY

       We are not talking about history. We are talking about current events. We are witnessing the most profound changes since the early 1990s.

          Let's make a brief effort of memory. Let's remember what was happening in Iran between January and February 2026. This year. Not much time has passed. At that time, the ayatollahs' regime was on its last legs. Everything was clear. The massive devaluation of the national currency, bankruptcies, crisis, protest demonstrations across the country, often violent, with significant destruction. The security forces were no longer capable of containing them. On the contrary, police officers were being killed in the streets and police stations were set on fire. Nothing could stop the process of change anymore. It was a natural consequence of years of economic sanctions and external pressures of all kinds. And the country's leaders were accused of mismanaging the economy. The situation was critical. The families of high-ranking officials were being evacuated to Moscow. From which it could be understood that the fight was lost. There was no hope left.

          What was the state of the Iranian armed forces? What could be expected from them, given that the economic situation was desperate? A shattered economy means a weak military. The same goes for the special services and paramilitary groups. The air force was virtually non-existent. The other branches weren't doing well either. A few months earlier, the Israeli air force had struck Iranian territory with little hindrance. At the same time, sabotage cells neutralized radar systems, missile batteries, and other key targets. Israeli intelligence services were operating in Iran as if they were at home.

          What conclusions could be drawn? The state was on the brink of collapse. The regime was as good as dead. With just a small push, the end would only be brought forward. And the push came: the American-Israeli military operation.

          Everything we knew about the situation in Iran came from the mass media. Theoretically, it could have also been a matter of exaggerations or even falsehoods. However, the Americans and Israelis would not have launched the operations if their intelligence services had not confirmed that the domestic situation in Iran was explosive. And we are talking about the most formidable intelligence services in the world: the CIA, Mossad, DIA, and so on.

            What do we know after seven months?

          We learned that the Iranian population supports the regime, despite the economic disaster amplified by the destruction caused by the bombings.

          We learned that US military bases can be hit quite easily. And not just anywhere, but in the storage or work areas for expensive and rare equipment. On this occasion, we learned that the most powerful military in the world has consumed a large part of its anti-aircraft missile stocks. Fine, but what happens if a war breaks out with stronger states?

          We also learned that the armed forces of the Persian Gulf monarchies are incapable of protecting their territory or striking back. We are talking about wealthy states with exorbitant military budgets, armed with ultra-modern military equipment.

          Most severely, we learned that the most powerful military in the world is incapable of unblocking a strait. Fine, you will object: it is not simple. It involves huge numbers of troops and vast amounts of equipment. And losses are inevitable. Yes, that is true. Still, we are talking about a force with a budget of nearly one trillion dollars. With aircraft carriers and hundreds of warships. With thousands of fighter jets and thousands of other aircraft with various purposes. With the most modern technology and the most well-trained troops in the world. Yet, a militarily far inferior force, with generally outdated equipment, is holding this military in check.

          A particularly important piece of information was intentionally kept under the radar. We learned that an F-35 fighter jet was damaged by Iranian air defense. This event is crucial. The most modern aircraft in the world, featuring innovative technologies, was detected and hit. The astronomical sums allocated for research and production were spent in vain. Its main asset, stealth, has become obsolete. The hundreds of aircraft already purchased, which represent the core of the USAF, no longer pose any serious threat. Personally, I consider the success of the Iranian air defense to be almost as important as the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz. Because it demonstrates that US aviation no longer poses as serious a threat as it was perceived to.

          All of this in just seven months. I consider this to be the period of the most intense changes in the military history of mankind. And automatically, the most interesting. Many legends are being overturned.

          Why such a huge discrepancy? How can it be explained?

         It's not really that complicated. First of all, the US armed forces are not as powerful as they have been presented by cleverly constructed propaganda. In all the wars they won, they held advantages that were generally less visible. Now, decades of Hollywood—with movies where American forces defeat anything—are catching up with them. Secondly, Iran is supported by China and Russia. Militarily and economically. The US was lured into a well-prepared trap by these geopolitical adversaries. I presented this fact in a military analysis article back in April (link https://warstud.blogspot.com/2026/04/us-intervention-in-iran-strategic-trap.html). From which they can only come out deeply shaken.