The future of the West and President Donald Trump’s historical reputation hinge on the outcome of the ongoing battle with the Islamic Republic of Iran. According to a July 23, 2026, Fox News opinion piece, America is decisively winning this conflict but has not yet secured a final victory.

The article warns that abandoning the battle could result in the worst U.S. foreign policy failure since the Vietnam War, rivaling the 2021 Afghanistan withdrawal under President Biden. It argues that Iran is not a normal nation with which deals can be made but a national security threat driven by a theocratic leadership intent on destroying Israel and the United States.

The piece references Iran’s first Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Khomeini, who accepted a ceasefire with Iraq in 1988 without fearing a popular uprising. However, it notes that regimes relying on extensive secret police forces, such as those in Syria, Libya, Romania, Poland, and East Germany, have historically fallen when faced with mass popular opposition absent a surveillance state like China’s.

The article portrays Iran as a regime of religious fanatics with significant oil revenues and a secret nuclear program housed in a deep cavern, impervious to conventional attacks. It also invokes a strategic maxim often attributed to Napoleon, emphasizing the importance of understanding the nature of one’s adversary.

Marco Rubio is mentioned as calling Iran's leaders "crazy," highlighting the ideological and existential motivations behind the regime’s actions. The article suggests that because of the stakes and competing futures, it is highly likely President Trump will continue to persevere in this conflict.

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