- By Raju Kumar
- Sat, 14 Mar 2026 03:51 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US-Iran War: The US-Israel war with Iran, which was assumed to conclude in a few days, entered its third week, deepening the global fuel crisis, which badly impacted Asian countries, including India. The US and Israel, which have superior air forces and naval power, failed to overcome a less-equipped Iranian military. On the 15th day of the war, reports emerged that Iranian airstrikes hit the US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. Iran's continued retaliation even after the killing of its top leadership, including Ayatollah Khamenei, surprised defence experts. As people across the world are feeling the pinch of the war amid the rising fuel prices, the pressure is building on US President Donald Trump to withdraw the US' aggression in the Middle East.
Now, questions are being raised about whether Trump miscalculated Iran's military capabilities. It looks like Trump and his advisers underestimated Iran's response, which created a global fuel crisis.
Here are five factors that suggest that the US President's War Assessment went wrong:
1. Iran's Retaliation: Even after 15 days of US-Israel's deadly aggression, Iran is standing on the battleground and posing a challenge by retaliating with full force. On Saturday, reports emerged that the US embassy in Baghdad was attacked. A missile struck the embassy. Hours before the embassy attack, five US Air Force KC-135 refuelling planes were damaged on the ground during an Iranian missile strike on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
2. Additional Deployment Of Marines: Iran continued its attack on the US airbases located in the American allies, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, UAE and Iraq, compelling the Trump administration to send additional troops of roughly 2,500 Marines and at least one amphibious assault ship to the Middle East. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans, said elements from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli have been ordered to the Middle East.
3. Iran's Nuclear Programme: The US and Israel invaded Iran over the dispute on Iran's nuclear programme, but even after 15 days of war, Trump has not issued any details about how many nuclear units have been destroyed or captured. Last year in June, Trump claimed that the US had destroyed Iran's nuclear programme in the 12-day war, but months later, he could not stand by his words and again invaded Iran, making the same claim.
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4. Lack Of Clarity On War: The Trump administration's lack of a clear Iran war plan is visible now. Trump remained silent on the regime change and the nuclear programme, which were the core reasons of the conflict. It shows that Trump failed to decode Iran's deterrence potential. Just three days ago, Trump claimed that there is “practically nothing left to target, and last night the US attacked Iran's main oil unit, Kharg Island.
5. Iran's Domestic Politics: The US thought it would receive support from the people of Iran to uproot the regime, but the game plan backfired after a US Tomahawk missile struck a primary school in southern Iran, killing 168 people, including 110 children. The incident consolidated internal politics, and Iranian citizens stood with the regime against the US-Israel aggression.
6. The Axis of Resistance: The Trump administration also miscalculated Iran's regional allies - The Axis of Resistance ( Hezbollah (Lebanon), Hamas (Gaza) and other Islamic Jihadi groups). These non-state actors are constantly attacking the US-Israel military installations.