China, Russia, Iran, and Islamist movements wage a long-term campaign of subversion, influence, and psychological warfare, while the West clings to an outdated, battlefield-only definition of conflict.
When American and Israeli forces struck Iran in February 2026, Western commentators immediately began asking how long the conflict would last and what the “exit strategy” was, or arguing that the United States should no longer involve itself in futile “forever wars” in the Middle East. This “no forever wars” stance reflects a modern Western demand for finite wars, juxtaposed with their adversaries’ “long war” mindset. From the communists’ “protracted conflict” to the Iranian regime’s apocalyptic jihad, the West’s authoritarian enemies see war as including continuous subversion and influence, blurring the lines between war and peace. To realistically face its future, the West must come to terms with this “total war” approach.
Continue reading this article on jcfa.org
