For 10 years, the United States was at war in Vietnam, 1965–75. It lost 55,000 of its forces and 50,000 planes and left the war without winning. In disgrace and humiliation, the U.S. had to exit from the Vietnam War because it failed to defeat North Vietnam, which had no match in firepower with America.

North Vietnam and its allies in South Vietnam were fighting a national liberation war and were imbued with courage and motivation to confront a superpower. They won that war with the exit of the United States from Saigon, the capital of South Vietnam, in April 1975.

Now, after 51 years, the United States, by attacking Iran on February 28, a country having a 7,000-year-old Persian civilisation, is in a quandary because, despite the claims made by American President Donald Trump and the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran’s military has been destroyed. Its leadership annihilated, the reality on the ground is different.

Iran is steadfast and, despite losing thousands of people as a result of relentless bombing by the U.S. and Israel, has not surrendered. On the contrary, despite the asymmetrical nature of the war, Iran has caused heavy damage to the U.S., Israel and their allies in the Gulf.

After spending 30 billion dollars in three weeks of war with Iran, the United States has no option but to exit the war by accepting Tehran’s three conditions as outlined by the Iranian President, Masoud Pezeshkian, on March 12: not to embark on aggression again, to pay reparations, and to accept Iran’s legitimate rights.

Unlike the June 2025 war, this time, large-scale destruction has been caused to Iran’s infrastructure, and its leadership, both civilian and military, has faced enormous damage.

Is there a realisation in the White House and the Department of War (formerly the Defence Department) that the sooner the United States agrees to a ceasefire based on Iranian conditions, the better it will be for America to avoid a Vietnam-like situation?

In the last three weeks, Iran has not surrendered and has been resilient in sustaining its struggle against foreign aggression. Truly, before February 28, the popularity of the Iranian........

© The Friday Times