Military History and Conflict Studies

Historical analysis of major wars, strategic turning points, campaign studies, and lessons learned for contemporary military thought.

USA vs Iran: Why Defeating Iran Is Easier Said Than Done | Maj Gen Dr S B Asthana

The US–Iran confrontation is not merely a contest between two militaries. It is a contest between conventional military superiority and asymmetric strategic resilience.

The United States has enormous advantages in airpower, naval power, intelligence, surveillance, precision strike and global military reach. Iran, however, brings a very different set of strategic variables to the contest—geography, depth, dispersed capabilities, missiles and drones, asymmetric warfare, regional networks and, critically, the ability to threaten the Strait of Hormuz.

This raises a fundamental question: Does overwhelming military superiority automatically translate into strategic victory?

In this episode of TAMS 292, Major General Dr S B Asthana discusses the US–Iran confrontation and examines why the proposition of simply "defeating Iran" may be considerably more complicated than the balance of conventional military power suggests.

The discussion also connects with several themes developed in Asthana Writes, including the limits of military power, the importance of political end-states, asymmetric warfare and the strategic significance of Hormuz.

The Idea of US-China G2: What It Means for India?: Interview of Major General Dr. S B Asthana by FPRC, India, Issue 67.

The idea of a US-China “G2” has resurfaced with renewed force as Washington and Beijing attempt to manage an increasingly complex relationship marked simultaneously by rivalry, economic interdependence and strategic competition.

But can two powers really co-manage a world that is increasingly multipolar, economically interconnected and technologically diffused?

In this exclusive FPRC Journal 67 (ISSN 2277 – 2464) , Major General Dr S B Asthana, SM, VSM, PhD (Veteran), examines the structural viability of the G2 concept, President Donald Trump’s evolving China policy, the strategic calculations behind the Trump-Xi engagement, and the implications for India.

The interview argues that the world is not moving towards a clean bipolar order. Instead, it is witnessing what can better be described as “adversarial coexistence under conditions of mutual dependence.”

For India, both US-China accommodation and confrontation carry risks. The answer, therefore, is neither alignment nor passive neutrality, but strategic autonomy backed by economic resilience, technological self-reliance, diversified partnerships and flexible diplomacy.

The interview also examines whether the Indo-Pacific is developing a “G-Minus-Two” architecture and concludes that the emerging reality is better understood as a lattice of overlapping mini-laterals rather than a coherent third bloc.

Xi Jinping’s Art of Smart Dictatorship 3.0: Why China Rises as America Is Distracted

Xi Jinping is playing a long strategic game while Washington is increasingly consumed by crises elsewhere. From China's expanding footprint at Antelope Reef in the Paracels to the sweeping purge of senior PLA commanders, Xi's consolidation of personal power is reshaping China's strategic posture. Meanwhile, America's attention is divided among Iran, tariffs, Venezuela, Greenland and domestic political pressures.

The coming Trump–Xi encounter may generate headlines, deals and diplomatic warmth—but beneath the summit theatre, the structural competition remains. The real question is no longer whether China is rising, but whether a distracted America can sustain the attention required to manage that rise. This subject has been analysed by me since last decade, with articles published in global journals since 2022, till as late as 2026 in Modern Diplomacy (EU) on 27 August 2026. Links are attached below the article/Analysis.

Pakistan Paradox, An Imperfect Partition : A Nuclear State at War with its Neighbours, its Periphery and Itself

Seventy-nine years after Partition, Pakistan remains trapped in a cycle of geopolitical confrontation, domestic instability and economic dependence. While headlines focus on Taliban attacks, unrest in Pakistan-occupied Jammu & Kashmir, Baloch insurgency or repeated IMF bailouts, these are symptoms rather than causes.

This article argues that Pakistan's enduring instability originates in the hurried colonial partition of 1947, compounded by decades of military dominance, proxy warfare and great-power patronage. It analyses the evolution of Pakistan's security doctrine, its changing relationship with the Taliban, internal fault lines, Cold War legacies and the country's strategic relevance in an emerging multipolar world.

Rather than viewing these crises separately, this article presents them as interconnected outcomes of a state whose foundational contradictions remain unresolved.

From Blitzkrieg Dreams to Industrial‑Age Attrition:Why the Russia–Ukraine War Has Become a Contest of Endurance?

The Russia–Ukraine war has moved far beyond its initial framing as a limited “special military operation” or a territorial dispute over Donbas and Crimea. It has become the world’s longest major conventional war of the twenty‑first century, a grinding contest of endurance in which political will, industrial capacity, energy infrastructure and nuclear thresholds all shape the battlefield more than any single offensive. In this analysis, Major General Dr S B Asthana examines how the conflict has evolved into an industrial‑age war of attrition fought with twenty‑first century tools—and explores how a war stretched between proxy dynamics, industrial capacity and nuclear deterrence might eventually end. Sharing my latest analysis as on first week July 2026 as an analytical article in below.

The Iran Deal Mirage: From Switzerland and Beyond!

The US-Iran Memorandum of Understanding signed in June 2026 and subsequent negotiations in Switzerland have generated cautious optimism. However, beneath the diplomatic headlines lies a deeper strategic reality. In this analysis, Major General (Dr.) S B Asthana examines why the fundamental objectives of Washington, Tel Aviv and Tehran remain irreconcilable, making any future agreement inherently fragile. Drawing upon military strategy, geopolitical realities and regional dynamics, the article explores the JCPOA-plus paradox, the role of Hormuz, the Lebanon fault line, and the implications for India. Sharing the latest analysis from the author.

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USA vs Iran: Why Defeating Iran Is Easier Said Than Done | Maj Gen Dr S B Asthana
The Idea of US-China G2: What It Means for India?: Interview of Major General Dr. S B Asthana by FPRC, India, Issue 67.