Bulwark Takes Former General Gives Brutally Honest Iran War Assessment | Command Post
14 snips
Mar 18, 2026 
Mark Hertling, retired lieutenant general and military analyst, offers a concise military lens. He breaks down U.S. and Iranian strategic goals. He explains NATO dynamics and why alliance buy-in matters. He explores limits of battlefield success and the political ambiguity of any end state.
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Young Colonel Timed For 60 Second Sit‑Rep
- Mark Hertling recounts being a night-shift duty officer after 9/11 and having to give a 60-second sit-rep to Secretary Rumsfeld.
- Rumsfeld timed him, joked about the 56-second brief, and the exchange became a lesson in concise military briefing under pressure.
U.S. Kinetic Goals Versus Iran's Asymmetric Response
- U.S. strategic goals focus on destroying Iranian missiles, drones, nuclear and naval capabilities and degrading proxy networks.
- Iran's strategic goals are asymmetric: impose costs, disrupt energy markets, mobilize proxies, and simply survive the strike campaign.
Iran Exploits Democratic Politics And Oil Leverage
- Iran targets U.S. weaknesses beyond military power: domestic politics and economic leverage via oil and the Strait of Hormuz.
- That leverage lets Iran extract political pressure on U.S. leadership even after military losses.
