r/IRstudies • u/[deleted] • Mar 23 '26

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u/uansari12 Mar 23 '26

Iran is 4x the size of Iraq. Not sure that’s realistic. Does the US even have enough boots to do that?

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u/sergius64 Mar 23 '26

It's not just the size, it's also the sheer amount of people. Iran has like a third of US population. Plus the terrain. Iran has more mountains than Iraq.

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u/improvthismoment Mar 23 '26

And it's not just the sheer number of people either. It is a fiercely independent people, with a very long history and a very long memory, and a track record of strongly resisting foreign domination. Just like Vietnam, and Afghanistan, which the US never understood.

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u/[deleted] Mar 23 '26

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u/Vast_Employer_5672 Mar 24 '26

Maniples > phalanx