The US-Israeli joint operation on 28th February aimed at achieving four main goals in Iran, notably preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, destroying its missile capability, degrading its naval capability, and prompting a national uprising for regime change. Even a single aforementioned objective is yet to be achieved, in light of Iran’s retaliation in the form of targeting US bases in the Gulf regions, Israel’s missile defense systems, and the blocking of the Strait of Hormuz. This inability of the US to achieve its objectives is actually due to the inadequacy of the US strategy it has used against its adversaries over the last two decades. The US has typically engaged with its adversaries using the “Shock and Awe” strategy, with the objective centered on prompting a quick regime change.

The Shock and Awe strategy, also known as rapid dominance, is meant to be a precise and sudden attack that disturbs the cognitive ability of the adversary to mount an appropriate response. In simple terms, shock and awe is an act of psychological warfare that destroys the will of the adversary to retaliate. This tactic has been employed extensively by the US in its recent conflicts against Iraq in 2003, the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and the abduction of the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in 2026. The continuous carpet bombing of Baghdad from 21st March till 9th April was a shock and awe tactic that led to the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime by 14th April. Similarly, on October 7th, 2001, the US military initiated a bombing campaign against Taliban and Al-Qaida forces, and by December 5th, a new interim government replacing the Taliban was formed. The same pattern is observed in the most recent operation against Venezuela in 2026, where a sitting........

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