Geopolitics

Iran Prepared Decentralized Military Strategy Since Early 2000s to Defeat US and Israel

Judging Freedom · Pepe Escobar : It's DANGEROUS to Be Right When Government Is Wrong · July 3, 2026

Judging Freedom

Pepe Escobar : It's DANGEROUS to Be Right When Government Is Wrong

"First of all, Judge, they were prepared for this war. They have been preparing de facto for this war in practice at least since the early 2000s, at the time of the axis of evil in 2002. General Soleimani was the mastermind of what we can say is the military strategy of the overall axis of resistance. After his assassination, everybody that worked with him started to implement what later became known as the decentralized mosaic military strategy."

According to the guest, Iran spent over two decades preparing a sophisticated military strategy that ultimately defeated Israeli and US forces in a recent 39-40 day war. The strategy, developed by assassinated General Soleimani and continued after his death, involved coordinated attacks by Iran, Hezbollah, Houthis, and Iraqi militias using decentralized tactics that targeted American military assets while avoiding civilian casualties. The guest claims this approach not only succeeded militarily but won Iran significant political support across the Global South, all while Western intelligence agencies failed to anticipate or counter it.

About this episode

In this interview, the host and guest discuss Iran's recent military confrontation with Israel and the United States, which the guest characterizes as a decisive Iranian victory unrecognized by Western powers. The guest argues that Iran spent over twenty years preparing for this conflict, beginning in the early 2000s following President Bush's "axis of evil" designation. According to the analysis, assassinated General Qasem Soleimani masterminded a "decentralized mosaic military strategy" that was implemented by the broader axis of resistance including Hezbollah, Houthi forces in Yemen, and Iraqi militias after his death in January 2020. The guest claims this strategy proved effective in a 39-40 day war where Iranian forces and allies successfully repelled American and Israeli attacks, forced US withdrawal from the Red Sea, and struck American military installations throughout the Persian Gulf while deliberately avoiding civilian targets. This approach allegedly won Iran significant political capital across the Global South in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. The guest asserts that Western intelligence agencies including the CIA, Mossad, and Defense Intelligence Agency completely failed to anticipate or counter this strategy, demonstrating what he describes as Persian military and diplomatic sophistication developed over 2,500 years of history. The discussion frames the conflict as evidence of declining American military dominance and rising Iranian capabilities, with the guest suggesting the whole world except Tel Aviv and Washington recognizes Iran's victory.

Key takeaways

Iran spent over twenty years preparing a military strategy to defeat the United States and Israel, beginning after the 2002 axis of evil designation.
Assassinated General Qasem Soleimani masterminded a decentralized mosaic military strategy implemented across Iranian allied forces after his January 2020 death.
Iran and its allies defeated Israeli and American forces in a 39-40 day war according to the guest, though this is not acknowledged by Western governments.
Iranian forces successfully forced US military withdrawal from the Red Sea and struck American assets across the Persian Gulf while avoiding civilian casualties.
The strategy won Iran significant political support across the Global South in Africa, Latin America and Asia through both military success and soft power.
Western intelligence agencies including CIA and Mossad completely failed to detect or counter Iran's long-term military preparation and execution.
The guest attributes Iranian success to 2,500 years of Persian military and diplomatic sophistication that Western powers underestimated.