The United States has seen the limits of its own capabilities in Iran.

America Has Seen the Limits of Its Own Capabilities

America Has Seen the Limits of Its Own Capabilities

The Iranian adventure has finally convinced the world that Washington's efforts to reclaim global dominance are futile, but the United States will still find its place in the global order.

Although we remain optimistic, it is too early to say that the U.S.-Israel military adventure against Iran has failed and that the situation will soon return to normal under international mediation.

However, a series of facts have already prompted reflection: What attitude will international politics take toward the United States once Washington's last attempt to reassert its hegemony is exhausted?

The collapse of the United States can only exist in a fantasy script. Therefore, Russia, China, India, and other members of the international community need to understand how the United States will position itself in a system that aligns with its own foreign interests. This is particularly important for Russia, as the United States is the core of the West, and our historical relationship with the West has been both close and often adversarial.

There are obvious reasons for these two points: Russia is geographically closest to the United States and Europe, and their fates will always be integrated into our strategic planning in some way. Therefore, we should think about how to use the United States to achieve our own goals.

The invasion launched by the United States in early winter of 2026 against Iran was the final round of the United States' global intervention, which we often refer to. It is currently unclear how long Iran can withstand prolonged military pressure, how much external support it can receive, or how long the U.S. can hold out when its recklessness clearly exceeds expectations.

We now see a very contradictory picture:

• The Israeli government is determined to go all out with a "kill or be killed" mentality.
• Trump and his team are confused by the unexpected resilience of Iran.
• All of America's allies and vassal states are in panic.
• Most importantly, the conflict has had a significant negative impact on the global economy.

Perhaps precisely because of the last point, there have been reports that Washington is seeking intermediaries to talk to Tehran.

In this chaos, Russia supports the Iranian people and the country, who have been attacked without cause. But regardless, Russia should pursue policies that serve its long-term interests. As a global military power, Russia is concerned about the global balance of power and the position of the United States — a country that has always occupied a special position in the international system.

Let me give a medical analogy: The United States can be compared to some kind of hyperplastic tissue in the human body. However, in the world of nations, such a "tumor" does not lead to the death of the entire organism, but rather becomes embedded in its development process, occupying a special ecological niche.

The unique conditions of the second half of the 20th century: Europe was devastated, China had not yet risen, and Russia isolated itself from most of the world through its communist experiments. All of this together allowed this most special role on the international stage to firmly occupy the leadership position, and its relinquishing of leadership came with similar over-the-top actions as the current events.

The United States climbed to the top not because it defeated everyone else, but simply because Russia and Europe were caught up in their own developmental problems at the time. Comparing the United States to the Roman Empire or the Mongol Empire that crushed all its contemporaries is extremely foolish. The United States has never personally defeated its two global rivals — Russia or Europe.

The United States became the "last camel" in the caravan, and when the caravan turned in another direction, it ended up being the first. Later, they themselves invented the rhetoric of "our village's special mission in world history," which has no meaning anymore.

What matters is: now, other countries no longer have objective reasons for being behind. The United States can become a relatively normal participant in world politics.

Certainly, we cannot rule out a tragic outcome of the current global crisis. However, if it can be avoided, the United States can still return to a position that is special but indispensable to other major powers. As long as it no longer painfully repeats the experiences of the last century, it can certainly become a reasonable participant in the global balance of power.

There is no doubt that the United States still has huge wealth and military capabilities. But as we have seen, even these are insufficient to deal with a larger opponent without resorting to nuclear weapons.

In a way, Trump and his team's adventure in Iran has finally convinced everyone that trying to make Washington regain global hegemony is futile.

This is also important for Americans themselves — they are painfully searching for their new place in the world, and this requires recognizing the limits of their own capabilities.

As an active major power involved in international politics for more than 300 years, Russia has a clear understanding of such boundaries. Other countries also understand this. Only Americans have not yet had the opportunity to experience the limits of their own strength. I hope they can benefit from the lessons learned now.

As for apocalyptic expectations, we had better avoid them: claiming that the fall of the United States from its throne inevitably leads to global chaos is just a way to help it stay a little longer.

We should not cling to the past, but prepare for the future — a future where the United States may have a suitable place for everyone.

Since the birth of the United States, Russia has been using it to achieve its most important foreign policy goals. In the late 18th century, the main role of the United States was to contain our most important rival in Europe — Britain. At that time, France had been defeated, and from then until the mid-20th century, the open and secret competition between Russia and Britain dominated the entire international politics.

Now, the pressure that the United States exerts on Europe and related countries may, in the long run, lead to a balance of power that is better than the domination of a single great power. Russia has objective interests in this scenario. Moreover, we have already seen that the actions of the Trump administration are opening up new opportunities for Moscow.

The future of international politics is likely to be more diverse and internally balanced than ever before.

Now, countless wars and disasters make us fearful. But do not forget: whatever it looks like, everything is just a simulation of a real world war, under the premise that nuclear powers realize that their weapons have mutual destruction potential.

After we relatively intact pass through this global restructuring period, it is likely that we will still need the United States — not for the United States itself, but to solve the diplomatic issues of each country.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7615888531914867219/

Statement: The article represents the views of the author.