America’s Exit Strategy Is Already Inside Iran

Bypassed this time were clear and attainable objectives, risk and cost analysis, plausible exit strategy, approval of the American public, and broad global support.

Also ignored was the Gulf Cooperation Council’s warning against a military conflict with Iran. With no victory in sight, from Saudi Arabia to Türkiye, from the Emirates to Cyprus, the region has now endured drone and missile attacks from the fundamentalist regime.

In further response, Iran has blocked the Persian Gulf’s Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. This expectation should have been identified in the risk-analysis portion of pre-war planning.

In keeping with its history of taking hostages to get its way, Iran’s current hostage is the global economy.

As Sultan al-Jaber, head of Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. declared, “Weaponizing the Strait of Hormuz is not an act of aggression against one nation, it is economic terrorism against every consumer, every family that depends on affordable energy and food.

“When Iran holds Hormuz hostage, every nation pays the ransom.”

Attempting to minimize the effect of the Strait of Hormuz blockade, President Trump removed sanctions on both Iranian and Russian oil.

Strategic energy investor Gaurav Srivastava provided an accurate assessment of this move, “De-sanctioning barrels of oil was a smart move in decreasing and controlling the price of oil, but it’s just a band aid.”

“These powers are trying to distract the U.S.” said Srivastava.

The entire globe, especially Asia, is already feeling the effects of 20% of the world’s petroleum shipments being blocked.

Unless President Trump soon figures out an exit strategy, the anger will turn toward the United States and Israel.

Vital national security or interests threatened is the only Weinberger-Powell principle that has not been ignored.

Since being seized by the religious extremists in 1979, Iran has been the number one nation-state exporter of international terrorism.

Washington’s current hopes to negotiate a way out of this conflict is only empowering Tehran. No one should believe the Islamic Republic will honor any agreement made with the western world.

America’s attempt to establish new “clear and attainable objectives” makes no more sense than trying to gain “broad international support” after the Strait was blocked and the anticipated quick victory turned into a stalemate.

Air strikes alone do not win wars.

The major achievement of allied strikes that killed Iran’s top leadership was opening promotions within the Islamic Republic.

The Western mindset analogy of “killing the snake by cutting off its head” is wrong. If the Middle-Eastern mindset had been applied, the analogy would have involved a mother spider.

The result of crushing a mother spider is that baby spiders riding on her back take off on their own.

This is exactly what has happened with Iran.

Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is operating off well-established and thoroughly exercised plans of counterattacking and wearing down their enemies.

Blocking international shipping through the Persian Gulf, and hostile fire into neighboring countries were done with prepositioned munitions and follow-through on pre approved orders.

America and Israel have yet to recognize the readily available exit strategy in front of them. This is surprising, as the Iranian regime recognizes that its own greatest vulnerability is the Iranian people.

I have seen a translated version of Iran’s official contingency plan for ending internal protests. Phase four was exercised in January 2026 when, by the government’s own count, at least 36,000 protesters were killed.

In 2009, 2013, 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2026; the Iranian population rose in mass protests against their government.

Unfortunately, nations of the world remained silent.

Iran cannot fight an external and an internal war at the same time.

Protests have turned into increasing conflicts which are occurring throughout the country.

Just five days before the missile attack that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, 250 members of the resistance organization Mujahedin-e Khalq conducted a small arms attack on his compound.

The IRGC repelled the attack and subsequently enhanced security, resulting in much more of the guard force being killed when the missiles struck.

Despite what Trump’s advisors are telling him, there are organized resistance organizations both inside and outside Iran.

For the cost of a few missiles, Iranians throughout the country can be supplied with enough weapons to take down the regime.

The Iranian people need help, and the world needs stability that will never be achieved if the Islamic Republic is allowed to exist.

Supporting the Iranian people in bringing an end to this theocracy will certainly pass the standards of the Weinberger-Powell Doctrine.

Colonel (Retired) Wes Martin – a retired U.S. Army colonel, served as the first Senior Antiterrorism Officer for all Coalitions in Iraq and holds a MBA in International Politics and Business. Read more Col. (Ret.)