How Do America’s Enemies Think About the Iran War?

The president clearly hopes that his memorandum of understanding with the Islamic Republic will put the Iran war in the rearview mirror. It might, although it is by no means a given that Tehran, emboldened by America’s retreat, will refrain from testing Donald Trump’s commitment to pusillanimity.

For now, however, the conflict has cooled to the point that there is space to thoroughly evaluate the war, the “cease-fire,” the peace (such as it is), and how it all reflects on America’s tactical capabilities and strategic thinking. The United States won’t be the only nation conducting after-action assessments. America’s adversaries abroad will draw their own lessons from the war.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.

Featured Tags

The president clearly hopes that his memorandum of understanding with the Islamic Republic will put the Iran war in the rearview mirror. It might, although it is by no means a given that Tehran, emboldened by America’s retreat, will refrain from testing Donald Trump’s commitment to pusillanimity.

For now, however, the conflict has cooled to the point that there is space to thoroughly evaluate the war, the “cease-fire,” the peace (such as it is), and how it all reflects on America’s tactical capabilities and strategic thinking. The United States won’t be the only nation conducting after-action assessments. America’s adversaries abroad will draw their own lessons from the war.

About the Author

Noah Rothman

Noah Rothman is a senior writer at National Review. His third book, Blood and Progress: A Century of Left-Wing Violence, was published by Hachette in May 2026.