Back in the mid or late '80s I attended some interesting training at the Royal Military College of Science. One - or perhaps a series - of lectures involved Asymmetric Warfare, at that time a hot topic. The lecture started by placing the subject in an historical context: the Scythians robust defence against the Persian Empire and, as I recall ended with the French v Viet Minh in the First Indo China War.
This conflict in the Middle East is an example of asymmetric warfare and it is worthwhile examining Iran's defensive strategy and doctrine in this light. Mosaic Defence and Fourth Successor models go a long way to explain the situation we find ourselves in.
For those who may be interested, the articles give some background and may help in understanding:
https://ummid.com/news/2026/3/14/ira...or-models.html
https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2026/03/1...osaic-defense/
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/front...-doctrine.html