Iran Plays Insurgent War While Gulf Demands Total Reset One month into war, Iran is fighting less like a conventional state and more like a hardened insurgency — bleeding its enemies while holding the global economy hostage and daring the West to escalate. Despite relentless strikes from the United States and Israel, Tehran has retained its most potent weapon: control over the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow artery through which roughly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas once flowed. Now, traffic is choked, energy prices are surging, and global markets are rattled. Iran doesn’t need dominance — just disruption. Shoot and Scoot tactics Using missiles, drones, and mobile launchers hidden across rugged terrain, its forces have adopted “shoot-and-scoot” tactics perfected by proxy groups like the Houthis. Even with much of its navy and air power degraded, Tehran can still strike, vanish, and repeat — creating maximum uncertainty with minimal resources. Pressure mounting on Trump For President Donald Trump, the pressure is mounting. Rising fuel costs and economic instability are hitting voters as he weighs a stark choice: negotiate, walk away — or escalate dramatically to force the Strait open. Thousands of U.S. troops are already moving into the region, with threats of strikes on Iranian infrastructure if deadlines are ignored. But survival, not victory, is Tehran’s strategy. “The objective is simple,” one analyst noted. “Last long enough to claim you weren’t defeated.” Gulf States: A Ceasefire Is Not Enough Behind the scenes, Gulf Arab states are delivering a blunt message to Washington: ending the war isn’t enough — Iran must be permanently stripped of its ability to threaten the region. Officials from across the Gulf are demanding any deal go far beyond a ceasefire, insisting on enforceable limits on Iran’s missile and drone programs, an end to proxy warfare, and ironclad guarantees that the Strait of Hormuz can never again be weaponised. Their position is shaped by experience. Past agreements, including the 2015 nuclear deal, curbed uranium enrichment but left Iran free to project power through missiles, militias, and maritime threats. This time, Gulf leaders say, that loophole must be closed for good. “A simple ceasefire just delays the next crisis,” warned senior regional figures. The divide within the Gulf is also sharpening. Qatar, Oman, and Kuwait are pushing for a rapid end to the war, fearing economic collapse and retaliation. But Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Bahrain appear ready to endure escalation — so long as the final outcome neutralises Iran’s long-term threat. A Region on the Brink of RedefinitionWith Iran still capable of choking global energy flows and the U.S. considering deeper military action — including potential moves on key oil infrastructure — the conflict is no longer just about ending a war. It’s about reshaping the balance of power in the Middle East. And whether Iran emerges weakened — or simply bloodied, but unbroken — may define the next crisis before this one even ends. Combined from various sources
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