Part 7/18:
Yet, their recent military performance has been humiliating. Iran’s naval forces, challenging American dominance, faced swift and overwhelming resistance, confirming that decades of deterrence, built on missile swarms and coastal defenses, are illusory against true modern naval power. The IRGC, now struggling with logistical shortages and unpaid soldiers, faces the threat of internal collapse. Their leading figure's calls for escalation are grounded more in desperation and institutional survival than military capability.