In a resounding testament to the power of steadfast resistance, the Islamic Republic of Iran is proving that it will decisively outlast the United States in the ongoing six-month conflict. In a revealing discussion on Al Mayadeen’s The Great Standoff: Iran and the World, prominent Iranian academic Professor Mohammad Marandi and former Pentagon analyst Michael Maloof laid bare the crumbling military, economic, and geopolitical leverage of the American empire.
The Reality of the Siege: War Crimes and Steadfast Resilience
Professor Marandi highlighted that the current phase of the “Ramadan War”—now stretching into its sixth month—has devolved into a brutal form of siege warfare orchestrated by Washington. He condemned this strategy as a blatant war crime, noting that instead of direct kinetic strikes on civilian infrastructure, the US is waging a comprehensive economic war against the Iranian people, aiming to crush civilian morale and deprive the youth of basic necessities.
“These sanctions today are sanctions that have never existed, the likes of which have never existed in human history,” Marandi declared. “But the Iranians continue to remain steadfast, and they will punish the aggressor.” He emphasised that throughout every phase of this prolonged conflict—from the initial 40-day war to the 13 days of fighting following Washington’s betrayal of diplomatic agreements—Iran has consistently outlasted the enemy. “The Iranians know that this is a war for survival,” he affirmed, pointing to the unmatched resilience of Iran and its allies across the Axis of Resistance.
A Swift and Decisive Response to American Arrogance
Addressing the potential for renewed military escalation, Marandi warned that the chances are “significant and substantial.” He issued a clear deterrent to Washington: any attempt to completely crush the Iranian economy, especially with the complicity of regional regimes, will be met with a swift, decisive, and overwhelming military response from the Islamic Republic. Furthermore, he noted the deep strategic synergy between the Iranian and Russian fronts, both of which are successfully exposing and crippling US and European influence globally.
The Collapse of American Power and Flawed Zionist Intelligence
From inside the Pentagon, Michael Maloof confirmed what the Axis of Resistance has long known: this conflict has exposed the severe limitations of American military might. “It has shown that a country such as Iran, which is far less capable militarily, can stand up to a superpower, and did so successfully, to the point that it’s at a stalemate,” Maloof observed. He blamed the catastrophic war on the US blindly following flawed intelligence from the occupying Zionist regime—a miscalculation that has cost Washington dearly.
According to Maloof, Iran, much like Russia and China, has successfully dismantled its reliance on the weaponised US dollar, proving to the world that the American economic empire is highly vulnerable. This historic shift is fundamentally altering the security architecture of West Asia. Gulf states are now realising that hosting US military bases does not offer protection but rather makes them targets of preemptive aggression, proving that “the Middle East of old is no longer going to return.”
The Decaying War Machine and the Multipolar Dawn
The American war machine is showing severe signs of decay. Maloof noted that US military readiness is “diminishing tremendously” in the region, with the US critically short on its ability to rearm or sustain its naval flotillas indefinitely. He sharply criticised US leadership for relying on “bluster” and deception to mask their failing empire.
Ultimately, the war on Iran is not just a regional conflict but a pivotal front in the global struggle against unipolar American hegemony. As the Axis of Resistance, alongside global multipolar forces, builds independent financial and security systems, the American empire finds itself isolated. Washington’s attempts to weaponise sanctions have failed, and as the empire flails, the resistance stands tall—ready, resilient, and victorious.
Reference: Al-Mayadeen