Since they failed to eliminate Khamenei and other top Iranian leaders to trigger a rapid regime change, since such an attempt can only be repeated a limited number of times before it is anticipated and countered like this, it seems likely that if the coming days do not generate sufficient political chaos, the US may begin already looking for a way to step back.
That was probably the most decisive option they could realistically attempt.
Even the current clownish US leadership understands that if this turns into a long, drawn-out war, the outcome becomes unpredictable.
There is no clear answer as to which side would face serious internal strain first, actually, Iran or the United States.
Iran has endured decades of sanctions and has internal ethnic and political tensions that could intensify during a prolonged crisis.
At the same time, the US faces deep internal divisions, political polarization, and economic pressures within a heavily leveraged financial system.
Realistically, the US is unlikely to commit to unlimited escalation in Iran, especially given other global priorities.
If you refuse to admit that Iran reacted much more effectively than last time, you are ignoring what actually happened.
Yes, you can point to some people dancing in the streets and celebrating.
But you also have to understand that Iran is not a uniform society by default.
A very large portion of the population belongs to different ethnic groups, and given the state of the economy, it is not surprising that some would prefer a weaker or more pro-Western government.
At the same time, the Iranian leadership itself not only survived the initial decapitation attempt but also responded on the same day, striking across multiple neighboring countries. That shows preparation and adaptation, not shown before.
They learned lessons from the previous Israel-US confrontation. Israel and the US will likely be looking to de-escalate very soon.
But regardless of what happens next, their image of untouchability in the region has been further weakened.
Even if they once again claim "100 percent interception rates", zero casualties, and no damage, especially given their influence over the majority of the global media narrative, that does not automatically make those claims unquestionable.