{"id":9647,"date":"2026-09-25T09:22:31","date_gmt":"2026-09-25T14:22:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/coatesn\/?p=9647"},"modified":"2026-09-28T17:17:00","modified_gmt":"2026-09-28T22:17:00","slug":"9647","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.acu.edu\/coatesn\/2026\/09\/25\/9647\/","title":{"rendered":""},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHow Iran Changed War:\u00a0 The Lessons of Tehran\u2019s Use of Precise Mass,\u201d<\/a> Foreign Affairs, 9-25-26.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBut more than six months later, the Iranian regime not only remains intact; it is perhaps stronger than before. It immediately replaced lost officials and struck back at Washington and its regional partners. And it shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, driving up energy prices around the world and winning newfound political leverage\u2014all to the great frustration of U.S. officials. There are several reasons why Iran performed surprisingly well. For one, the country had long planned for American and Israeli attacks, so it was prepared to reconstitute its government when top leaders were killed. It was also able to import enough goods to keep its economy from completely collapsing despite a U.S. naval blockade. But one of the most significant factors is that the Islamic Republic had built up a large arsenal of cheap yet accurate drones and missiles. These munitions made Iran\u2019s counterattacks effective and allowed it to close the strait\u2014and thus deter American escalation. In doing so, Iran has demonstrated something broader. The age of what I called precise mass\u2014or high-volume, low-cost, precision-guided weapons\u2014is well underway. It is no longer possible for the U.S. military, or any military, to win a full-blown war simply by using small numbers of exquisite weapons to dazzle opponents. Weaker countries can match stronger ones through offensive barrages. Offense is currently cheaper than defense: the price of effective interceptors has yet to fall to the level of attack drones and missiles, which means defending against precise mass is extremely costly. After all, militaries cannot endlessly block salvos of $35,000 Shahed-136 attack drones with $4 million Patriot missiles.\u201d\u00a0 Two things\u2014this is not an impossible situation for the allies but we should note they did not want to put armies on the ground.\u00a0 Second, the article doesn\u2019t point out that the Supreme Leader model has been shattered, and we don\u2019t even know if the Leader of the country is alive.<\/p>\n

A reminder of the enabling.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cGOP senators dismayed by Trump embrace of Xi after China helped Iran target US troops,\u201d<\/a> The Hill, 9-25-26.<\/p>\n

Important news, and consistent with those who say that the Regime will never give up seeking a nuclear weapon (despite the false claims the former Leader forbid it via fatwa\u2014that document was never produced).\u00a0 See \u201cIran rules out nuclear concessions even if US accepts Hormuz proposal,\u201d<\/a> Iran International, 9-25-26.<\/p>\n

The air shutdown is taking effect.\u00a0 \u201cIran threatens regional air travel as US sanctions cut its flight links,\u201d<\/a> Iran Internation,\u201d 9-25-26.\u00a0 More sweeping is this next important story.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cA U.S. Arm-Twisting Campaign Is Cutting Iran Off From the Rest of the World,\u201d<\/a> WSJ, 9-25-26.\u00a0\u00a0The U.S. is finally, since 1979, getting serious about sanctions.\u00a0 Air Mahan closed, same with major banks, good news.<\/p>\n

Which also gives the U.S. more time to produce munitions.\u00a0 \u201cTrump Rejects Iran Ceasefire, Expects Renewed Bombing After Midterms,\u201d<\/a> WSJ, 9-25-26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cHow Iran Changed War:\u00a0 The Lessons of Tehran\u2019s Use of Precise Mass,\u201d Foreign Affairs, 9-25-26.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cBut more than six months later, the Iranian regime not only remains intact; it is perhaps stronger than before. It immediately replaced lost officials and struck back at Washington and its regional partners. And it shuttered the Strait of Hormuz, driving … <\/p>\n

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