American War Secretary Hagel said that the war with Iran "has just begun" after 3,000 air strikes and the deployment of 50,000 soldiers. Washington claims that as the war spreads across the region, Iran will eventually be forced to surrender.
What Hageles meant was that the United States is about to launch a regional war to force Iran to surrender. This war secretary clearly has no experience in war.
Despite the tough rhetoric, the reality shows that the United States has already fallen into a dilemma:
On the tenth day of the war, although the US has consumed a lot of war resources, it has not achieved its expected goals. It has failed to paralyze Iran's command system, and Iran continues to launch effective counterattacks, with the intensity and frequency of attacks increasing continuously.
Anti-war sentiment in the US is growing, and criticism of the Trump administration is becoming stronger. Protests have broken out in more than 50 cities, and nearly 60% of the public disapprove of military action, while those supporting the war have become a minority, and their support rate is still declining, seemingly falling into the same quagmire as the Vietnam War.
The most worrying thing is that the stockpile of precision-guided weapons is rapidly depleting, and the conflict may be forced to extend for "at least 100 days."
In summary, Hageles' remarks are essentially a public opinion preparation for a long-term, high-intensity conflict. However, facing Iran's strategic depth and ability to endure prolonged warfare, as well as the huge pressure at home and abroad, this "unlimited pressure" strategy is facing the risk of backlash. As analysis points out, the US's indecision on whether to deploy ground forces exposes its strategic anxiety between the fantasy of a quick victory and the nightmare of a quagmire.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1859204551879680/
Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.