[July 20, 2026] There are recent tactical and strategic changes in America’s war with Iran that deserve some comment. Despite a greater stranglehold and destruction of Iranian assets, the position of Iran in this war has not changed at all. They remain as recalcitrant as always.
The question everyone seems to be asking, since Iran restarted their attacks on shipping, is whether America can reopen the Strait of Hormuz (remember the MOU?). And, yes, the battle for the strait is underway (as we see in the news) and we will win it. But, that is the wrong question. The right question is how can we stop Iran from its conduct of and support for barbarism, including inside the Middle East and its waterways, and elsewhere, where there is a free flow of commerce. This was our original objective, and a good one.
This is why we see such a hard-nosed realist foreign policy developing in America. Forged by decades of Iranian duplicity. Many experts have highlighted how past U.S. policies—nuclear deals, sanctions relief, and hesitation—allowed Iran’s missile program and proxy networks (Houthis, Hezbollah, etc.) to flourish. Half-measures invite more attacks, not less.
There’s an old saying that goes something like this, “the enemy has a vote,” meaning they adapt, and often do so quickly. Ukraine’s fight with Russia is a classic case of a small country, using innovative tactics to hold off a much larger aggressor. For America’s political and military leaders, “beware.”
As detailed in the Institute for the Study of War’s July 18 update, Iran is now deploying high-speed, maneuverable missiles to evade defenses and strike U.S. and allied bases. These improvements stem from lessons learned in prior engagements, including the 2025 war with Israel. Iran’s intent is clear: to bleed American resolve and threaten shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. It’s working.
In response, the U.S. has launched additional strikes aimed at punishing the regime and halt its ability to threaten maritime traffic. SecWar Hegseth emphasized that the recent loss of American lives “has stiffened U.S. resolve.” Strategic American precision airstrikes are severing economic lifelines for the mullahs; which now include power plants and key bridges.
The U.S. is also bolstering support for Israel with dozens of refueling aircraft, signaling readiness for further operations. This reflects a shift from restraint to decisive action, a welcome departure from years of feckless diplomacy that emboldened Tehran.
It’s important here to point to the role of external enablers. Iran’s advances are not purely indigenous; intelligence suggests backing from China (via reconnaissance satellites) and Russia (drone tactics and targeting data). This proxy dynamic turns the Strait confrontation into a theater of great-power competition. As such, this is a war far outside the Iranian question of terrorism.
This moment tests American leadership. A stoic resolve, as in the tradition of Marcus Aurelius or the Greatest Generation, means accepting the burden of action to protect the innocent and deter evil.
Escalation carries risks, but inaction guarantees worse ones. Iran’s adaptation of missiles, aided by great-power rivals, poses a direct threat to U.S., Israel, and global stability. The current response—retaliatory strikes, logistical buildup, and resolve—demonstrates another tightening of the noose. Paringi military pressure with economic warfare, exposes the China-Russia axis, and prioritizes American interests without endless entanglement.
History shows that strong leadership, grounded in reality rather than wishful diplomacy, prevails. The Strait should remain open, American and allied lives protected, and aggression punished. Anything less dishonors the fallen and invites further bloodshed. And a warning for President Trump, the Iranians will never take your deal; they lie and they cheat. That is their way. You can’t change that. Ever.
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We simply cannot believe anything that the Iranians say. Nor, any muslim. It is in their Koran that to lie to an infidel is acceptable and encouraged to get your way. So, the only thing they understand is action. And that action has to kill them all.
The IRGC needs to be totally wiped out to the last man. And all the mullahs rounded up and deported to Gaza. There, solved the problem. How? Good quesiton. Here is a quote that I found this morning.
“The [Iranian] negotiators and diplomats…always appear reasonable – they always want to coexist with us, and they’re always working against the hard liners. That has been the pattern for decades. There’s nothing new about that, although some of our negotiators being new to this think it’s new. It is not new. It is their pattern. And I don’t think there’s ever going to be a deal here that would be acceptable to President Trump….” – GEN Jack Keane, former Army Vice Chief of Staff.
https://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2026/07/keane-insight.php
Let us never forget that many Americans are rooting against America in this war, Linux Man and they love the IRGC because they are also anti-American. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
Powerful analysis, General Satterfield. I understand why President Donald Trump decided on several occasion not to attack and totally destroy Iran. And maybe he now realizes the mistake. Let us hope so. Other Middle Eastern nations asked him to not do so. They are part of the problem, but i do understand that they have to live with the consequences of a return of a defeated IRGC in some other form (down the road years from now). They are scared. They are cowards, else they would have destroyed Iran long ago. This can be settle today, but it will take conviction and for everyone to throw off the veil of cowardness.
I think most of us know by now that the Iranian IRGC will never give up. That is why they must be destroyed. Gen. Satterfield has compared them to the Japanese army in WWII. They were not going to surrender and that led to the unnecessary deaths of many of them (and their families). On the Japanese’s homeland islands, they were either isolated on an island and never attacked (because they ciouldn’t leave) or they were attracked and utterly destroyed. That is what needs to happen here. The IRGC needs to be utterly destroyed and that means killed. They are the Japanese Imperialist troops of WWII and the same solution needs to be used. Plus, the population in which the IRGC lives must suffer terribly (no electricity, no food, no fuel). That is the only way in which they will know they are defeated and so surrender. Only through surrender will they know a better world.
Fred, you got that right. Only through surrender will they live in a better world. And then so much of their money can go to making their lives better instead of it creating terrorism around the world.
Exactly right !!!!! 💯