Iran’s Long Game: Outsmarting the West in the Gulf

Iran has spent decades building an asymmetric, decentralized military and an economic strategy to disrupt energy markets and strain the U.S.-led Gulf security order. By leveraging the IRGC, proxies, and strategic vulnerabilities like the Strait of Hormuz, Tehran aims to outlast adversaries and widen gaps between Washington and Gulf partners, potentially leaving Iran resilient and the U.S.-Gulf alliance weakened after the conflict.