NewsPronto

 
Men's Weekly

.

USA Conversation

The Conversation USA

The Conversation USA

Overconfidence is how wars are lost − lessons from Vietnam, Afghanistan and Ukraine for the war in Iran were ignored

  • Written by Monica Duffy Toft, Professor of International Politics and Director of the Center for Strategic Studies, The Fletcher School, Tufts University
imagePlumes of smoke and fire rise after debris from an intercepted Iranian drone struck an oil facility, according to authorities, in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, on March 14, 2026. AP Photo/Altaf Qadri

Wars are rarely lost first on the battlefield. They are lost in leaders’ minds − when leaders misread what they and their adversaries...

Read more: Overconfidence is how wars are lost − lessons from Vietnam, Afghanistan and Ukraine for the war in...

More Articles ...

  1. How AI English and human English differ – and how to decide when to use artificial language
  2. ‘Project Hail Mary’ explores unique forms of life in space – 5 essential reads on searching for aliens that look nothing like life on Earth
  3. Federal judge temporarily blocks RFK Jr.’s vaccine agenda – an epidemiologist answers questions parents may have
  4. HBO’s ‘The Pitt’ nails how hospital cyberattacks create chaos, endanger patients and disrupt critical care
  5. Why Colorado River negotiations stalled, and how they could resume with the possibility of agreement
  6. Pakistan-Afghanistan conflict is rooted in local border dispute – but the risks extend across the region
  7. Israeli action in Lebanon risks repeating history’s mistakes — and torpedoing a historic moment for dialogue
  8. Who are Iran’s new leaders? A look at 6 the US placed a bounty on – 2 of whom are already dead
  9. You probably agree with the animals on which bird calls, frog noises and cricket chirps are most attractive – new research
  10. Targeting of energy facilities turned Iran war into worst-case scenario for Gulf states
  11. Information is a battlefield: 4 questions you can ask to judge the reliability of news reports and social posts about the US-Iran war
  12. Seattle tried to guarantee higher pay for delivery drivers – here’s why it didn’t work as intended
  13. Trump’s new child care subsidy rules compound an already dire situation for providers and families
  14. Pittsburgh’s air pollution estimated to claim 3,000+ lives per year − and EPA rollbacks aren’t helping
  15. Global copper demand outstrips supply, threatening electrification and industrial growth
  16. Health insurance jargon can be frustrating and confusing – here’s how to navigate it
  17. Gender conformity starts young – and boys and girls fall in line in different ways
  18. Moral metrics: Are corporate algorithms becoming our new moral authorities?
  19. Soaring gas prices prompt Trump to ease oil tanker rules – how waiving the Jones Act affects what you pay at the pump
  20. Hundreds of hungry mosquitoes, a student volunteer and a mesh suit helped us figure out how these deadly insects reach their targets
  21. How hatred of Jews became a common ground for Islamic terrorists and left-wing extremists, fueling domestic terrorism
  22. More and more teachers and students are using AI – even though it might do more harm than good
  23. What’s the equivalent of a wheelchair for a person with schizophrenia? How psychiatric rehabilitation brings community into care
  24. Power outages can threaten the lives of medical device users – knowing who is most at risk will help cities respond
  25. Pittsburgh spends millions on juvenile detention – research points to cheaper, more effective alternatives
  26. Power outages in heat waves and storms can threaten the lives of medical device users – we looked at who is most at risk
  27. What an ancient Chinese philosopher can teach us about Americans’ obsession with college rankings
  28. Millions of CT scans are done every year – most leave important data behind
  29. Pete Hegseth is working hard to make sure the public hears only good news about Iran war
  30. Going nuclear? Why a growing number of Washington’s allies are eyeing an alternative to US umbrella
  31. Iran’s nuclear materials and equipment remain a danger in an active war zone
  32. With AI finishing your sentences, what will happen to your unique voice on the page?
  33. Cancer vaccines could transform treatment and prevention – but misinformation about mRNA vaccines threatens their potential
  34. Researchers develop biodegradable, plant-based packaging from natural fibers – new research
  35. My research on wheelchair basketball challenges one of the biggest assumptions about sex differences in sports
  36. Magic mushroom-infused products appear in Colorado gas stations – what public health officials want consumers to know
  37. Tax changes taking effect in 2026 may boost the number of donors but lead to the US missing out on an estimated $5.7B a year in charitable giving
  38. In war-torn Iran, air pollution from burning oil depots and bombed buildings unleashes invisible health threats
  39. Paul Ehrlich, often called alarmist for dire warnings about human harms to the Earth, believed scientists had a responsibility to speak out
  40. The first modern rocket launched 100 years ago, beginning a century of both innovations and challenges for spaceflight
  41. Paleontologists uncover a new ‘Spinosaurus’ species by following a clue from a decades-old book into the Sahara Desert
  42. What was the very first plant in the world?
  43. The long history of silent meditation retreats and the individuals who helped shape them
  44. A writing professor’s new task in the age of AI: Teaching students when to struggle
  45. Anxiety and ADHD can overlap – here’s how to untangle these widespread mental health disorders
  46. Controversy over Reese’s ingredients reveals standard food industry practices most consumers never notice
  47. A pet-friendly homeless shelter pilot reduced the rate of homelessness among the people it helped in California
  48. What ‘gooning’ reveals about intimacy in a world cordoned off by screens
  49. Iran war and other tough topics give K-12 teachers chance to teach students how, not what, to think
  50. How the Emerald Isle shaped the Steel City – Pittsburgh’s rich Irish history