From Vietnam and Iraq to Iran — US Senator Warns of Another “Forever War” Driven by Trump and Netanyahu!
October 25, 2026 | Washington – Tehran
Eight months of war, no decisive victory, and no political settlement! Yet Washington and Tel Aviv continue preparing for another round of escalation against Iran, as though more bombing could accomplish what previous military operations have failed to achieve.
Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen has sharply criticized the Trump administration, warning that the war he describes as “illegal” is turning into yet another American forever war.
Van Hollen accused Trump and Republicans of deluding themselves into believing that the next military strike would finally deliver victory. Drawing parallels with America’s disastrous experiences in Vietnam and Iraq, he demanded an immediate end to the war.
The New York Times reveals new plans: US and Israeli forces have reportedly developed plans for renewed strikes against Iran, potentially following the November 3 congressional midterm elections. Possible targets include energy infrastructure, nuclear facilities, and Iran’s missile arsenal.
Confusion in Washington: According to leaked reports, Trump has repeatedly blocked proposals to resume major military operations, even as preparations continue. No final decision to launch another offensive has been announced.
Betting on Iran’s surrender: Some American officials believe another intensive bombing campaign could push Iran’s economy toward collapse and force Tehran into concessions. But this calculation ignores the fact that nearly eight months of warfare and economic pressure have failed to secure Washington’s declared political objectives.
War and elections: The apparent connection between the timing of military escalation and the American elections raises a disturbing question: Are military decisions being postponed to protect electoral interests, only for the possibility of war to return once Americans have finished voting?
The observer’s Analysis | When Strategic Failure Becomes an Excuse for More War
The irony is striking.
Donald Trump, who once presented himself as an opponent of America’s endless wars, now finds his administration trapped in the very same dilemma that consumed previous US governments.
In Vietnam, the argument was that more troops would deliver victory. In Iraq, every new military phase was presented as the final step toward stability.
Today, the same logic is being recycled against Iran: another strike, a more intensive bombing campaign, and another promise of a decisive victory that has repeatedly failed to materialize.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu continues pushing for escalation, while the people of the region, including ordinary Iranians, bear the human and economic costs of these military adventures.
Even more dangerously, attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure could push the confrontation far beyond Iranian and Israeli territory, threatening Gulf security, international oil markets, and global shipping routes.
The Bottom Line
Air superiority does not automatically translate into political submission. Destroying a country’s infrastructure does not guarantee control over its sovereign decisions.
After eight months, Washington faces a question it can no longer afford to ignore:
If the war has failed to achieve its objectives so far, what makes Trump and Netanyahu believe that more of the same will finally produce victory?
The greatest danger of prolonged wars is not simply that they continue.
It is that their leaders eventually reach a point where admitting failure becomes more politically difficult than expanding the war itself.
And history has repeatedly demonstrated just how catastrophic that calculation can become.
Iraq | Baghdad Restricts Motorcycles and tuk-tuks as Tishreen Anniversary Protests Approach — Authorities Promise Roads Will Remain Open!
25 October 2026 | Baghdad – Tahrir Square
Security measures announced by Baghdad Operations Command have entered effect ahead of demonstrations commemorating the October 2019 Tishreen protest movement.
The restrictions began at midnight, according to the official statement reported by Iraqi media.
Confirmed security measures
Movement restrictions: Motorcycles and tuk-tuks are prohibited from using specified highways and approaches to Tahrir Square.
Affected roads: The restrictions cover Mohammed al-Qasim Highway, Army Canal Highway, the Salah al-Din/Shuala route and roads approaching the square.
Security inspections: Authorities announced detailed checks of people approaching the demonstration area.
Road closures: Baghdad Operations Command stated that security units should not close roads leading to Tahrir Square unless specifically ordered by command headquarters.
Government justification: The measures are intended to protect peaceful demonstrators and public and private property.
Commercial concerns: Reports published Saturday documented temporary business closures near the square, including printing shops.
Freedom of expression: Some shopkeepers alleged that they were warned against printing anti-government banners. Those allegations remain unconfirmed by security authorities.
⚖️ Strategic Assessment
The anniversary remains politically sensitive because the original Tishreen demonstrations challenged corruption, unemployment and poor public services.
Authorities have a legitimate responsibility to protect demonstrators and prevent violence.
But the effectiveness of the security operation should be judged by whether peaceful citizens can demonstrate freely—not simply by the number of checkpoints or personnel deployed.
The government should ensure that inspections are proportionate, movement restrictions remain limited and political expression is protected.
China | Beijing Rejects Expanded US Investment Restrictions — Biotechnology and Advanced Computing at Centre of Dispute!
25 October 2026 | Beijing – Washington
No additional major Chinese policy announcement was independently verified overnight.
The latest significant development remains Beijing’s October 24 response to Washington’s proposal to expand restrictions on American investment in sensitive technologies.
Verified developments
US proposal: On October 22, the US Treasury Department proposed changes to its outbound-investment security programme.
Newly covered sectors: The proposed expansion would add biotechnology and broaden restrictions involving high-performance computing and hypersonic systems.
Existing restrictions: Certain investments involving semiconductors, quantum technologies and artificial intelligence are already covered.
China’s response: The Chinese Commerce Ministry rejected the proposed expansion on October 24, describing it as discriminatory and warning that it could damage bilateral economic relations.
Possible countermeasures: Beijing reserved the right to respond but did not announce specific retaliatory measures.
Washington’s justification: The US Treasury says the programme is designed to prevent American capital from supporting foreign adversaries’ development of sensitive dual-use technologies.
Legal status: The newly proposed restrictions are not equivalent to a final, fully implemented prohibition.
Strategic Assessment
The dispute demonstrates how technological competition is increasingly shaping international capital flows.
Washington is extending national-security screening beyond exports and equipment into the financing of advanced industries.
Beijing views such measures as discriminatory economic restrictions.
The strategic consequence could be a further division of global technology investment into competing political and regulatory systems.
That would create additional uncertainty for multinational companies, research partnerships and supply chains.
However, the proposal’s ultimate economic impact cannot be measured until its final provisions and implementation are known.
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Iran Announces Downing of US Drone Over Bandar Abbas — does the Incident Reveal Continued American Air Operations Inside Iranian Airspace?
October 25, 2026 | Bandar Abbas – Strait of Hormuz
The Iranian military has announced that its air defenses successfully shot down a US-made LUCAS drone over the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, amid escalating American threats to launch another major military offensive against Iran.
Reuters reported on Sunday, citing Iran’s Tasnim News Agency, that the Iranian military had announced the interception and destruction of the drone. However, operational details surrounding the incident remain limited.
First | What do We Know About the American Drone?
Model: LUCAS, a low-cost American attack drone designed for one-way strike missions.
Military irony: The United States developed this drone using a design philosophy inspired by Iran’s Shahed drones, which have become one of the most prominent examples of low-cost warfare.
Location: Bandar Abbas, one of Iran’s most strategically important coastal cities, located near the Strait of Hormuz and home to major naval and military installations.
Second | What does Its Downing Mean Militarily?
If the details of the Iranian account are confirmed, the incident would carry three important implications:
1️⃣ Iranian air defenses remain capable of engaging aerial targets: Despite months of American and Israeli strikes, a successful interception would indicate that some Iranian detection and air-defense systems remain operational.
2️⃣ The air war is far from over: If confirmed, the presence of an American attack drone over Bandar Abbas would demonstrate that US military operations in the region continue, even as diplomatic negotiations are being discussed.
3️⃣ The war of attrition continues: Low-cost drones allow militaries to conduct repeated operations at a fraction of the cost of manned aircraft. However, they also create difficult economic and operational choices for defenders attempting to intercept them efficiently.
Third | What Questions Remain Unanswered?
▪️ Where was the drone launched from, and what was its intended target?
▪️ Was it approaching a military installation for a strike, or was it conducting a different mission?
▪️ Which Iranian air-defense system intercepted it? Are there recent photographs of the wreckage confirming its identity and the date of the interception?
▪️ Will US Central Command acknowledge the loss, or remain silent?
The observer’s Analysis | the Strategic Paradox
Eight months of war, accompanied by repeated American declarations about the destruction of Iran’s military capabilities, yet Washington continues to face challenges in the airspace surrounding the Strait of Hormuz.
The real measure of military effectiveness is not how many aircraft are shot down in a single day. It is whether Iran can consistently protect its strategic infrastructure and whether Washington can achieve its military objectives without becoming trapped in an open-ended war of attrition.
And that raises a more important question:
If Washington is indeed preparing another wave of strikes against Iran, are these drone operations intended to prepare the battlefield for the next escalation, or are they part of an ongoing campaign of military pressure designed to force Tehran into concessions?
For now, there is insufficient evidence to reach a definitive conclusion.
The Bottom Line
If the details of the Bandar Abbas incident are confirmed, it would serve as another reminder that American technological superiority does not guarantee absolute immunity on the battlefield.
More importantly, the continuation of such confrontations makes the prospect of a diplomatic settlement increasingly fragile and raises the risk of the region sliding into another major round of warfare.