One common point of reference for the 2026 U.S. war in Iran is the 2003 U.S. war in Iraq. But it’s worth considering a darker analogy: Russia’s 2022 war in Ukraine. Russia’s war in Ukraine has become a proxy war with the West. Beijing and Moscow have every interest in helping the country draw down America’s reserves of military power. In my experience, arguments about the Iran war tend to have a circular quality.

Source: Washington Post March 29, 2026 22:29 UTC