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sis. It is internet theater. Secretary of State Marco Rubio put the strategic case plainly: Within a year to eighteen months, Iran could have crossed what he described as a “line of immunity,” accumulating sufficient short-range missiles and drones to deter effective counteraction.
The window was closing.
That reality explains the timing more convincingly than conspiracy theories do.
History offers a cautionary note. Adversarial regimes have long attempted to fracture American domestic support during wartime. During World War II, Axis propagandists beamed radio broadcasts at Allied populations. During Vietnam, North Vietnamese leadership understood that battlefield setbacks could be offset by political erosion in the United States. The strategy is familiar: If you cannot win militarily, try to win psychologically.
Tehran is attempting the same maneuver.
It is firing drones toward regional targets in symbolic displays of defiance. But its most consequential salvos are rhetorical, aimed at American social media feeds rather than American aircraft carriers.
The uncomfortable truth for Iran is that its military options are narrowing. Its air defenses have proven porous. Its infrastructure is vulnerable. Its deterrent credibility has been badly shaken.
That does not mean the conflict is risk-free. War always contains uncertainty. Escalation is always possible. Skepticism is not disloyalty; demanding clear objectives and accountability from leaders is a civic duty. But analysis should begin with reality.
And the reality is, the United States and its allies currently possess escalation dominance, operational superiority and strategic momentum. The Iranian regime’s primary remaining lever is the hope that Americans will convince themselves they are losing — even as evidence suggests otherwise.
The United States is winning.
And Tehran knows it.
Ben Shapiro is a graduate of UCLA and Harvard Law School, host of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” and cofounder of Daily Wire+. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author. To find out more about Ben Shapiro and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2026 CREATORS. COM
