The Longest Contemporary War: Iran and the United States
Vietnam Rebuilt;
Iran Remains in a Soft War
From 1955 to 1975, the Vietnam War — fought between North Vietnam and
U.S.-backed South Vietnam — was one of the 20th century’s bloodiest and most
destructive conflicts.
More than two million lives were lost, cities were devastated, and economic
structures collapsed.
Yet, just a decade later, Vietnam rose from the ashes. In 1986, the
country launched the Đổi Mới economic reforms, opening its doors to
foreign investment and embracing pragmatic policies.
By 1995, Vietnam and the United States fully restored diplomatic relations,
marking the end of enmity and the beginning of economic resurgence.
1. Vietnam: From War
to Economic Miracle
Once one of the poorest nations in the world, Vietnam has become one of
Asia’s fastest-growing economies.
According to World Bank and IMF data:
- Average annual
GDP growth: ~6.5% from 1990 to 2024
- Extreme poverty
rate: dropped from over 70% in the 1980s to below 3% in 2023
- Exports: rose from $2.5 billion in 1990
to more than $350 billion in 2024
- Technology and
manufacturing: home to major facilities for Apple, Samsung, Dell, and Intel
- Economic
freedom ranking (2024, Heritage Foundation): higher than China and Russia
Vietnam demonstrates that pragmatic governance and prioritizing
national interests can triumph over rigid ideology.
2. Iran: A War That
Never Ends
While Vietnam moved toward reconciliation, the Islamic Republic of Iran
pursued the opposite path.
Since the 1979 U.S. embassy takeover in Tehran, Iran and the United States have
been engaged in the longest contemporary war —
a war without guns but with devastating consequences for the economy, society,
and everyday life.
Key indicators highlight the human and economic toll:
- Currency
collapse: From 7 IRR per USD in 1978 to over 650,000 IRR in 2024
- Average
economic growth: less than 1.5% per year over four decades (World Bank, Iranian
Parliamentary Research Center)
- Economic
freedom ranking: 170 out of 177 countries (Heritage Foundation 2024)
- Foreign
investment: virtually zero
- Inflation: exceeding 40% in most recent
years
This soft war is arguably more lethal than any conventional military
conflict. It claims daily casualties in the form of brain drain, poverty,
and social despair.
3. Rationality vs.
Stubbornness
- Vietnam turned
yesterday’s enemy into today’s trade partner.
- Iran has turned
yesterday’s enemy into a tool of political narrative and internal
justification.
- Vietnam
accepted that development was impossible without engagement with the
United States and global markets.
- Iran still
frames economic dependence as a political failure, despite acute reliance
on imports and foreign technology.
Vietnam embraced peace to attract technology and investment; Iran
persists with isolation and antagonism.
Vietnamese citizens build the future in factories and offices; Iranians queue
for dollars, medicine, and visas.
4. Conclusion: A War
Longer Than Vietnam
The Vietnam War lasted twenty years and ended.
The Iran–U.S. soft war has lasted over forty-five years —
without ceasefire, without victory, and without pragmatic resolution.
Iranian policymakers know the human and economic costs, yet they persist
with policies of obstinate confrontation —
prioritizing ideological pride over public welfare.
Vietnam emerged from war as an industrial and economic power.
Iran, after four decades of soft war, remains trapped in stagnation and missed
opportunity.
The contrast is clear: Vietnam chose pragmatism; Iran chose
stubbornness.
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post-war development, economic sanctions Iran, Iran economic stagnation,
Iran-US relations, Vietnam economic reforms, Đổi Mới Vietnam, Iran soft war
consequences
🌍 Journalist | Association of
Environmental Journalists
Environment is life…
✴️ When there is no bread, no tree casts a shadow.
@journalistsir | @bahrm8
https://journalistsirani.blogspot.com
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