Here is something you may have missed amidst the incessant chatter about a possible military confrontation in the Persian Gulf: Iran is far less powerful and scary than the innuendo in Washington, D.C. would have you believe.
This will likely come as a surprise to many Americans, many of whom are saturated with self-professed “experts” on cable news, the editorial pages, and the think tank circuit waxing ad-nauseam about how the Islamic Republic of Iran represents a danger to the world. Listening to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, you would be forgiven for believing that the Iranians are a few short years away from sweeping the entire Middle East like Alexander the Great rampaged through the Asian continent. Speaking to Margaret Brennan on Face the Nation last Sunday, Pompeo remarked that Iran was “operating in five countries,” as if those countries were distant colonies taking direct orders from the ayatollahs thousands of miles away. Taken in the extreme, modern-day Iran is perceived as the 21-st century version of the Persian Empire, a military juggernaut biding its time before it quickly swallows up territory and plants its flag across the Middle East.
The reality, however, is far different.
Iran is not a 10-foot tall giant it’s so often portrayed. It has neither the hard power, wealth, partners, or frankly ability to perform what would be a magic act. For all the attention and resources Washington places on Tehran, the country is nothing but a middling, albeit paranoid, power.
