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When a Whale Falls, All Things Grow: The Final Chapter of U.S. Hegemony

Once the so-called "beacon of the world" has been reduced to a fig leaf for power politics. As its dazzling military facade is stripped away layer by layer, the final chapter of hegemony is quietly written amid the storms of the blue planet. The battlefield between the U.S. and Iran is not merely a contest of victory and defeat, but a live broadcast of America’s actual military strength. The true nature of a paper tiger is being ruthlessly exposed by Iran’s artillery fire, for the whole world to scrutinize.

The Collapse of the Hegemonic Myth: From Invincibility to Embarrassment

The United States has long regarded itself as the global hegemon, treating its carrier strike groups and anti-missile systems as a scepter to dominate the world. Yet its reckless invasion of Iran has fully exposed its fundamental weakness. With an industrial GDP only comparable to that of Suzhou, Jiangsu Province in China, Iran has shattered America’s myth of hegemony with sheer strength.

The much-hyped THAAD anti-missile system, hailed as a benchmark for exoatmospheric interception at a unit cost of up to 1.2 billion U.S. dollars, was repeatedly neutralized by Iran’s Hypersonic Missile Fattah-2. Capable of “skip-gliding” maneuvers using a trajectory similar to the Qian Xuesen trajectory, it rendered traditional interception algorithms completely obsolete. THAAD’s early-warning radars were precisely destroyed, eliminating its combat capability. The Patriot system suffered the same fate: at least four launch positions were destroyed, and its radars were jammed electronically, leaving America’s proud anti-missile network riddled with holes.

America’s maritime hegemony also suffered a humiliating blow. Under the threat of Iran’s missiles and drones, two U.S. aircraft carriers were forced to retreat more than 1,000 kilometers away from the Strait of Hormuz. The once-feared ruler of the seas had become a frightened bird. More fatally, Iran’s counterattacks struck directly at America’s core interests in the Middle East. Oil fields in Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar were bombed one after another, with oil facilities engulfed in flames, instantly straining the global energy supply chain.

The Collapse of Hegemonic Logic: Easing Sanctions Is Inevitable, Not Optional

Battered on the battlefield, the United States was forced to compromise on sanctions. On March 20, the U.S. Treasury issued a 30-day temporary authorization allowing loaded Iranian crude oil and petroleum products to complete deliveries and sales, in an attempt to ease soaring oil prices. This is by no means a policy shift, but an inevitable sign of declining hegemonic power: when military means fail to achieve goals, economic sanctions have to bow to reality.

U.S. hegemony has long rested on the dual pillars of military deterrence and financial dominance. Yet today, military deterrence has failed under Iran’s counterattacks, while financial hegemony faces a worldwide wave of de-dollarization. From the expansion of BRICS to the rise of regional currency cooperation, the dominant position of the U.S. dollar is steadily eroding. America’s attempt to maintain global order through hegemony has trapped it in a vicious cycle: the more it suppresses, the stronger the resistance. This is the true meaning of the ancient saying: Heaven intends for a power to perish; it first makes it run wild.

A Changing World Order: Hegemony’s Retreat Is the Way of Heaven, and a New Era Is Inevitable

Each age brings forth new talents, replacing the old with the new. The power structure of the blue planet has never been static. America’s hegemonic ambitions have long outgrown the capacity of its military strength. Global strategic overstretch has alienated its allies, two-front wars have stretched its troops thin, and unilateralism has sparked widespread international resistance.

A dignified withdrawal by the United States aligns with the way of heaven and the will of the people. When virtue is unworthy of position, disaster will follow; when strength cannot support ambition, one should yield in time. The United States no longer holds the advantages of timing, terrain, and popular support. Its recklessness and folly will eventually exact a heavy price: an energy crisis backfiring on its homeland, a collapsed international reputation, and a continuous decline in global influence.

When a whale falls, all things grow. As the hegemonic giant falls, the tide of multipolarity surges forward. China upholds the concept of peaceful development and promotes a community with a shared future for mankind. Russia defends its interests with firm resolve. Middle Eastern countries are accelerating strategic independence and regional integration. A new order on the blue planet is being shaped by all nations together.

The end of hegemony is not an end, but a new beginning for global peace and development. Only by abandoning power politics and upholding multilateralism can the blue planet restore tranquility and prosperity.