There is little doubt that U.S. and Israeli strikes on military targets inside Iran have dealt a severe blow to the country’s capacity to wage war. The campaign has eliminated the first and second tiers of Iran’s leadership, destroyed more than 60 naval vessels, degraded its weapons stockpiles, and dismantled key air-defense systems — leaving large portions of the regime’s political and command infrastructure in disarray.
Yet despite the devastation, Iran’s leadership shows no sign of capitulation. Instead, it remains defiantly entrenched. As the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exhausts its remaining military options, it has increasingly turned to another weapon: a coordinated propaganda campaign waged through its state-controlled media. And, as so often happens, the anti-American foot soldiers of the U.S. legacy press have proven more than willing to amplify it.