According to Fox Tv on Saturday, May 16th 2026, former Israeli Ambassador Michael Oren has offered a detailed perspective on the nature of modern warfare and how different cultures define victory, during an analysis of the ongoing conflict involving Iran and regional security dynamics.…....
Speaking during a televised discussion segment, Oren responded to questions about whether Iran’s leadership has shown unexpected resilience despite sustained military and economic pressure. His remarks focused on the gap between Western military expectations and Middle Eastern political realities, particularly in how success in war is measured.
Oren stated: “Indeed. Good to be with you, John. That’s because we tend to think in the West in Western terms of what constitutes victory. Victory means sinking a lot of ships, blowing up a lot of bridges, certainly blowing up a lot of factories.”
He expanded on the idea that Western military doctrine often emphasizes physical destruction and measurable battlefield gains, while adversaries in the Middle East may define victory differently, focusing instead on survival, endurance, and political continuity even under sustained pressure.
Oren suggested that this divergence in worldview helps explain why some governments or movements continue to function despite significant losses in infrastructure or military capability. In his analysis, the destruction of assets alone does not necessarily translate into strategic defeat if the governing structure remains intact and continues to operate.
Oren’s comments highlight the importance of understanding not only military capacity but also ideological resilience and governance structures when assessing conflict outcomes. His remarks contribute to ongoing policy discussions about how Western nations define success in foreign interventions and what metrics should be used to evaluate progress in prolonged geopolitical conflicts.
