DECLINE OF US GLOBAL HEGEMONY

Iran is not Iraq: The high price of misreading a regional power

3/17/2026, 6:34:54 AM

A new RT opinion piece warns that Washington is repeating the mistakes of the Iraq War by underestimating Iran's resilience, regional influence and strategic depth. The article argues that Iran's centrality in the Middle East makes a military campaign far more costly and unpredictable than past interventions. It also highlights the severe global economic risks — particularly to energy markets — of yet another failed Western military experiment in the region.