Opinion

Trump is dismantling Iran’s war machine, but America still needs an endgame

Islamic Republic can no longer threaten shipping and US forces without exposing its own vulnerabilities

By Erfan Fard Fox News

Published September 4, 2026 9:00am EDT

Comments Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Print Email Add Fox News on Google

close

Video

Iran nears breaking point as Trump calls on people to rise up

Chief foreign correspondent Trey Yingst reports on U.S. military strikes against Iran. Foundation for Defense of Democracies senior advisor Richard Goldberg analyzes strategies to dismantle the regime's proxy networks on 'America's Newsroom.'

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

For nearly half a century, the Islamic Republic of Iran taught Washington to fear confrontation more than Tehran feared attacking American interests. The regime sponsored terrorism, armed proxies, threatened international shipping and targeted U.S. forces while exploiting American fears of "escalation." President Donald Trump has begun to reverse that equation.

The latest strikes matter not simply because Iranian radar, air defenses and maritime assets have been destroyed, but because Washington is imposing a principle Tehran understands: aggression will expose and diminish its military power. For a theocracy that built regional influence by convincing adversaries that retaliation was more dangerous than accommodation, this fundamentally changes the balance of fear.

The latest confrontation in the Persian Gulf illustrates that change. U.S. Central Command said its Sept. 1 operation struck Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) air defenses, radar systems, maritime assets, mine-laying capabilities and communications sites after attempted Iranian attacks on commercial shipping and U.S. service members. Tehran responded with missiles and drones aimed toward Jordan, Kuwait and Bahrain.

TRUMP RETALIATES AFTER IRAN ATTACK AS EXPERT WARNS REGIME IS GROWING MORE DANGEROUS

The attacks demonstrate that Iran remains dangerous, but not strategically strong. Possessing missiles capable of inflicting damage is not the same as possessing the power to dictate a conflict’s outcome. Each attempt to rebuild its machinery of aggression creates new vulnerabilities for American intelligence and military power to exploit.

President Donald Trump is teaching Iran that there are severe consequences for its continued aggressive strategy. (The White House via X Account/Anadolu via Getty Images/Contributor/Getty Images)

This is one of the most consequential achievements of current U.S. policy. For years, Tehran followed a favorable cycle: build military capabilities, use them directly or........

© Fox News