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Howard W. French analyzes the parallels between the Vietnam War and the current Iran conflict in a review of David Halberstam's classic.

Howard W. French highlights the similarities between the Vietnam War and the current Iran conflict, drawing on David Halberstam's classic work, The Best and the Brightest. The author notes that both conflicts were pursued with ill-defined goals and a lack of clear strategy, often driven by ideological leaders who lacked specific expertise in the region. While President Trump has noted that the Iran campaign is shorter than Vietnam, French observes that both wars suffered from cognitive blindness and a lack of clear exit strategy. He criticizes the current administration's management of the war, noting that the team includes several individuals who lack extensive experience in large-scale organizational management. Furthermore, French points out that the administration's reliance on high-tech missile systems has led to a depletion of resources, potentially exposing the U.S. to other global threats. He also notes that the Iranian perspective, as which expressed by Brig. Gen. Mohammad Reza Naqdi, suggests that the American military may be weaker than previously perceived.

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