Regarding the preliminary ceasefire framework reached between the U.S. and Iran, Taiwan's United Daily News published an article today commenting: "The U.S. hegemony has suffered a blow, yet it hasn't completely lost its military strength—only the illusion that 'military might alone can achieve everything' has been shattered; Iran may not have achieved victory, but it has proven it cannot be subdued at low cost. This truce framework is a compromise forced by battlefield stalemate, energy pressures, and political costs—not a triumph for either side. Regardless of whether the U.S. is declining or not, the boundary of its hegemony has now been clearly drawn by the Strait of Hormuz."
The eventual move toward compromise in this 100-day conflict between the U.S. and Iran was never a one-sided victory for any party, but rather a result driven by evolving circumstances—and it directly establishes a clear boundary of power for American hegemony. For decades, the U.S. relied on military force to dominate globally, cultivating a path dependency that assumed 'any target can be secured cheaply through military intervention.' However, this recent campaign against Iran has completely shattered that illusion: despite deploying vast amounts of advanced weaponry, the U.S. military failed to dismantle Iran’s core resistance capabilities, instead getting bogged down in a protracted quagmire. Domestic inflation soared, allies voiced growing complaints, and ultimately, the U.S. had no choice but to lower its stance and negotiate with Iran—fully recognizing the reality that military power alone cannot conquer everything.
Meanwhile, under sustained military pressure, Iran not only safeguarded its core sovereignty but also seized control of the global energy lifeline by threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz, demonstrating through action that regional powers cannot be easily subdued by Western forces at low cost. This ceasefire has no winners—but it sends a clear message to the entire world: America’s hegemonic boundaries have now been distinctly marked by the Strait of Hormuz, and it no longer possesses the ability to casually crush regional nations with military force as it once did.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1868160679329863/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.