{
  "id": 2991456,
  "title": "Washington Is Creating Forever Enemies",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/24/washington-is-creating-forever-enemies",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-24T10:00:46.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Foreign Policy",
    "slug": "foreign-policy",
    "url": "https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/08/24/iran-afghanistan-united-states-war-enemies/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Washington's habit of creating lifelong adversaries has far-reaching consequences. Analysts frequently discuss \"forever wars,\" but the issue of \"forever enemies\" receives scant attention. Once a country becomes an adversary in Washington's imagination, it remains so, regardless of changing circumstances. This tendency has left numerous countries on America's list of grudges, often rooted in events decades old. Cuba, Libya, and Iraq are prime examples, with their ties to Iran further complicating matters. The 1979 Iranian hostage crisis remains a profound humiliation for Americans, and Iran's perception as a hostile regime persists due to events like the 1983 Beirut bombing and various acts of aggression. However, Iran's current grievances predate the present conflict, including the 1988 downing of Iran Air Flight 655, U.S. support for Saddam during the Iran-Iraq War, and a sanctions regime that disproportionately affects civilians. These core grievances have reached middle age, yet Iran's understanding remains static. The United States has treated Iran as a \"mullah regime\" rather than recognizing the hybrid nature of its leadership. A misreading of Iran's evolving dynamics has led to a lack of productive engagement, as seen in the belief that killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei would decapitate the regime. The United States faces similar challenges in Afghanistan, where its understanding is clouded by historical grievances and a misguided approach to the Taliban.",
  "summary": "The United States must learn to forget the pain of humiliation.",
  "key_points": [
    "Washington treats countries as lifelong enemies, regardless of changing circumstances.",
    "Iran's grievances against the US date back decades, including the 1979 hostage crisis.",
    "US misreads Iran's evolving dynamics, failing to engage productively."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}