Anaconda – crushing the Iranian regime

(This is the second in a two-part series on the way ahead in our war with Iran. Link to first article.)

What we are doing right now in this war is not working. We need a new approach. That cannot be invading Iran, which would mean hundreds of thousands of U.S. troops in combat, horrific casualties, and economic ruin for much of the Middle East.

We have, up until now, assumed we could, whenever we chose, “declare victory and go home,” accepting that while the regime remains in power, it has suffered grievous damage. We may now have to consider that we have passed that point. The Iranians may not agree to a cessation of hostilities. They may very well still keep the Straits of Hormuz closed, continue to shoot at oil and gas facilities and fields in the Gulf, and starve the world of energy.

It is time to begin to conceptualize a different way ahead. What follows is by no means intended to represent a fully formed operational plan. Think of it as a point of departure for the formulation of a very different kind of approach, one that turns the tables on the Iranians and puts us in the driver’s seat. Let’s call it Anaconda:

Defang the Iranian drone threat. While we continue to hunt Iranian high-end missiles and other capabilities, let’s learn from the Ukrainians and build a layered defense system in the Gulf that renders Iranian drones largely irrelevant.

The Ukrainians have shown the way on this. They have developed a sophisticated, multi-layered system to intercept drones, achieving success rates as high as 85% to 90% as of early 2026. Their approach is economically sustainable. They don’t shoot 3-million-dollar missiles at drones that can be made in a garage. They use interceptor drones costing less than $5,000 that hunt other drones mid-air. Many of these use onboard AI for terminal guidance. They can also lock onto a target’s thermal signature, meaning the interceptor is immune to jamming.

In combination with this, Ukraine uses a layered system for the detection of incoming drones. This includes acoustic sensors listening for the sound of drones. Data from over 14,000 microphones and smartphones mounted on poles nationwide is fed into a central system that provides for complete situational awareness. Based on the analysis of this data, Ukraine can move mobile fire teams using heavy machine guns, anti-aircraft cannons (like the Gepard), and MANPADS (Man-Portable Air-Defense Systems) into the flight path of incoming drones.

In many cases, the Ukrainians simply jam the radio link between a drone and its operator, often forcing it to crash or land. They also feed false satellite signals to incoming drones, causing them to veer off course.

Blockade Iranian oil and gas. Physically prevent Iranian oil and natural gas from being exported. The U.S. Navy can do most of the work on this. If necessary, we can destroy pipelines and other facilities that provide any other option for the Iranians. Bankrupt the regime.

Ruthlessly hunt down anyone and anything that sells material to Iran that can aid in its war effort. Compel everyone to pick a side. If you sell to Iran, you do not sell to the United States, you do not do business here, and you do not have access to the world banking system. You can suffer the same fate as Iran, an economic catastrophe.

Promote and expand U.S. oil and natural gas. Iran provides approximately 4–4.5% of the world’s oil and roughly 6–7% of its natural gas. We will, on an emergency basis, expand our own production to fill the gap. We will fast-track permission for new wells. We will also help other nations, such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Nigeria, Namibia, Angola, Guyana, and others, to expand their production. Iran’s loss will be the world’s gain.

Flood Iran with the truth. Leverage Starlink. When they figure out a way to jam it, figure out a way to go around them. Render Iran’s control over the news inside the country moot. Make sure every Iranian, everywhere, knows what is really happening. Make this a two-way conversation. Don’t just tell Iranians what is happening outside Iran. Empower Iranians to tell the world what is happening inside the country. Expose the corrupt, rotting edifice of Iran’s theocracy to the light of day.

Build a true opposition, not one based on the fantasy that the Crown Prince is going to ride into Tehran on a white horse and reclaim the throne. Work with true Iranian Patriots to build a real opposition movement and create a viable, armed resistance inside the country. Give the men and women in this effort the training, money, and support they need. Issue the appropriate findings to unleash the full capabilities of CIA’s Special Activities Division.

Declare open season on Iran’s proxies. Hunt them ruthlessly worldwide. Put them out of business. Do what is required in the way of reforming the CIA to make it possible to take the fight to the enemy. Any nation that does not join that effort suffers the same fate as Iran. It is crushed economically.

Destroy the organizations within the United States that advocate for and have made common cause with Tehran. If you are working with Iran, you are an agent of a hostile foreign power, and you are out of business. Your funds are seized. If you have violated federal law, you go to jail.

Track down and arrest every IRGC Quds Force or Iranian intelligence asset inside the United States and put them in prison for the rest of their lives. So far, we have been content to gather some low-hanging fruit. Get serious about counterintelligence and bring in some spy hunters. The Iranians are good. We can be better.

Leave the regime nowhere to turn and nowhere to hide. Crush it slowly and inexorably. Right now, they think time is on their side. Show them how wrong they are.

Originally published by AND Magazine