[gherkinnn]

The ideas that I as a civilian was sold over the past decades don't appear to hold up any longer.

As someone a while back put it, Russia lost several Bundeswehrs worth of equipment and keeps on grinding. Neither side is able to mass large forces, in a large part due to drones. And Iran can punish the US despite being comically outgunned.

Modern equivalents of Sherman and T-34 tanks over burdensome Tigers and a population willing to support heavy losses.

[loglog]

A Bundeswehr worth of equipment is so little nowadays that Bundeswehr itself lost several Bundeswehrs worth of equipment while being at peace for the last few decades.

[gherkinnn]

Can't argue with that. The context of that quote was Europe defending itself and the reality that most European states are simply not ready for such a high level of attrition.

[greedo]

While Iran has faired better than I expected, it's a reach to say they've punished the US. The US losses are comically small. Of course wars aren't won solely based on battles...

[defrost]

> The US losses are comically small.

Just international respect, potentially the loss of the petrodollar, trust of allies, etc.

Small beer stuff really - although the kinds of things that feature in historical retrospectives published 50 years after turning points.

[gherkinnn]

The US' immediate material losses are peanuts, of course. And Iran's are massive.

Weeks after declaring victory, it remains a strategic blunder with no obvious way out.

The Hormuz quagmire was expected and the vile Iranian regime has a long history of murdering and sacrificing its population for political gains.

Since we're discussing a WoR article:

https://warontherocks.com/tactical-success-strategic-failure...