March 16, 2026 | The Atlantic
Glimpsing Victory in Iran
The campaign has already delivered major wins for American national security, but something much bigger is starting to come into view.
March 16, 2026 | The Atlantic
Glimpsing Victory in Iran
The campaign has already delivered major wins for American national security, but something much bigger is starting to come into view.
Excerpt
Two weeks after the United States and Israel launched their combined military campaign against Iran’s clerical regime, the outlines of victory are beginning to emerge.
Military campaigns of this kind—especially those aimed not only at degrading military capability but also at creating conditions for political change—unfold in phases. The first phase of this conflict was bound to be the most important: stripping the Islamic Republic of its ability to wage war against America and its allies, threaten its neighbors, and intimidate global markets.
The early results are promising, though much remains unfinished.
Mark Dubowitz is the chief executive of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, where Richard Goldberg is a senior advisor.