Fears of another world war have been greatly exaggerated. Far from creating another global cataclysm, recent U.S. actions may have prevented a major war while simultaneously providing a new blueprint for American military power in the Middle East and beyond.
The United States carried out targeted strikes against Iran’s nuclear weapons program, prompting some commentators to warn of a global cataclysm. Previously, well-known podcasters, policymakers, and even some major news outlets suggested that a world war, potentially involving Iranian allies Russia and China, would ensue should Washington and Tehran come to blows.
They were wrong. And it’s worth exploring why.
Trade-offs are inherent in every conflict, but the difference in the balance of power between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic is vast. America is a global power, possessing economic and military heft that most nations can only envy. Indeed, as President Donald Trump said after announcing the success of what was dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, “The strikes were a spectacular success … no military in the world could have done what we did tonight, not even close.” He’s right.
In subsequent remarks, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth offered some details: “Our B-2s went in … and took out these nuclear sites in and out and back without the world knowing at all. In that way, it was historic, a strike that included the longest B-2 Spirit bomber mission since 2001 and the first operational employment of the MOP, a massive ordinance penetrator. The mission demonstrated to the world the level of joint and allied integration that speak to the strength of our alliance and our joint forces.”
Describing the operation, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan “Razin” Caine told the Pentagon press corps that deception and force integration were key to the mission’s success.
Hegseth noted that planning for Midnight Hammer had taken “months and weeks of positioning and preparation so that we could be ready when the president of the United States called. It took a great deal of precision. It involved misdirection and the highest level of operational security.”
Iran, Caine noted, hadn’t even fired at the U.S. strike package as it entered Iranian airspace — a result, no doubt, of Israel taking out Iranian air defenses in the preceding weeks and months.
Simply put: The U.S. conducted a massive strike, hit three nuclear facilities in a hostile land far away from the B-2’s Missouri base, and did so without loss of life or aircraft. That, by any measure, is astonishing.
It’s also not something that Iran could have carried out. The Islamic Republic is good at asymmetrical warfare — or, more bluntly, terrorism. Tehran’s conventional military capabilities are middling at best. As Trump noted, Iran is “the bully of the Middle East.” And, like most bullies, its bravado masks an underlying weakness. On every scale imaginable, the balance of power favors the U.S.
As Caine observed, deception was key. Many in the press have sought to portray an administration riddled with fissures and division. But the planning and secrecy involved testify that the Pentagon is a well-run machine capable of harnessing American power with devastating effect.
Ditto for the limited and well-defined objectives. Trump has long been clear that Iran can’t have nuclear weapons. His words will have a deterrent effect on our enemies throughout the globe.
WITH OBJECTION TO IRAN BOMBING, HYPOCRISY OF DEMOCRATS AND MEDIA IS ON FULL DISPLAY
The notion that Russia and China would fight on Iran’s behalf was always far-fetched. China has been laser-focused on Taiwan, and Russia is bogged down in Europe. These are allies of convenience with their own objectives and interests.
And now they’re on notice.
Sean Durns is a senior research analyst for the 65,000-member, Boston-based Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).