Mistakes Mount as Iran War Drags On

The Iran conflict has been marked by numerous mistakes from various parties involved. One of the biggest errors was made by the Houthis, who started a new war that they couldn't finish. They resumed attacks on Saudi Arabia in July and seized control of the coast beside Bab al-Mandeb, closing it to Saudi-linked shipping. Overstretched in aid of a declining regime, they now have the attention of Riyadh, Washington, and London at once.

China has also made a significant mistake by arming a regime that shut its door in its face. Beijing has been Iran's strategic partner, funding it through oil purchases as the only major buyer of its sanctioned crude. During the war, China went even further by sanctioning Chinese entities over satellite imagery used against U.S. forces and shipping missile-propellant precursor to Tehran.

Another critical error was made by Russia, which gambled on marginal battlefield gain in exchange for Trump's reluctance to increase support for Ukraine. However, this move handed European allies a powerful argument to punish Putin in Ukraine. The Kremlin has profited from higher oil prices, but its Iran move has had significant consequences.

The Gulf partners have also been criticized for their passivity during the conflict. They long wanted the Iranian threat resolved and were reluctant to take action. By May, Riyadh was denying airspace to the American operation to escort ships out of Hormuz, which was paused two days after it began.