Watling's 'Statecraft' Analyzes US Strategic Failures in Iran (warontherocks.com)

• US Iran war highlighted failures in statecraft, including lack of theory of victory and underestimation of strategic risk.
• Watling's book proposes shift from overcentralized, reactive strategy to proactive, decentralized interagency task forces.
• Review calls for integrating policy ends with military means and continuous reassessment of assumptions.

"Frank Hoffman reviews Jack Watling's book 'Statecraft: The New Rules of Power in a Divided World', arguing that the US war against Iran exposed failures in statecraft. The review emphasizes the need for a theory of success, consideration of multiple futures, and strategic risk assessment. Watling critiques Western governments' overcentralized, crisis-oriented strategy processes and proposes cross-functional teams for improved implementation."