"They lifted Iraq up whole, put it on a tray, and handed it to the Islamic Republic."
That single line dismantles the myth that Tehran's regional reach equals "Iranian power."
It was never strength — it was an American strategic blunder:
▪️ 2003: Saddam toppled
▪️ Every Iraqi state institution dissolved
▪️ A referendum handed power to the Shia majority
▪️ Result: one of the region's strongest states delivered to the Islamic Republic without a shot fired
Had Washington turned its attention elsewhere in 2003, the entire regional map would look different today.
And the phrase worth remembering: "the nationalists of the Axis of Resistance" — those who insist on rebranding an expeditionary war in Syria as Iranian national pride.
Iran's real power is Iran itself — not a regime's regional projects.
What's your read on 2003? Drop it in the comments and share this with someone who still confuses the two.
منبع / Source: https://youtu.be/ois3w_kBkiE?t=3008#ایران #عراق #جمهوری_اسلامی #محور_مقاومت #تحلیل_سیاسی #خاورمیانه #Iran #Iraq2003 #MiddleEast #IslamicRepublic #AxisOfResistance #ملی_گرایی #سوریه #سپاه #GeopoliticsExplained #IranPolitics #RegimeChange #IraqWar #ForeignPolicy #تاریخ_معاصر #IranianNationalism #SaddamHussein #MENA #PoliticalAnalysis #اقتدار_ایران
