The Iran war is not a military conflict from which the United States can simply back out, with things reverting to how they were before. Iran would surely demand a heavy price in a new accommodation with the United States — but this price will surely be less costly than that of the alternative future. This is a transformational war, and if these changes continue for even a few years, the global order will change irrevocably.

 

The War Is Turning Iran Into a Major World Power

By Robert A. Pape

Dr. Pape is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago who studies military strategy and international security.