Iran FM Likens US Briefings to Vietnam War Follies

Iran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi sharply criticized United States military briefings on the ongoing conflict with Iran on March 20, 2026, likening them to the overly optimistic press updates from the Vietnam War era known as the "Five O'Clock Follies." In a post on the social media platform X, Araghchi accused American officials of projecting a false sense of victory amid mounting challenges on the ground, drawing a direct parallel to historical assurances that ultimately proved unfounded.

The remarks came as the U.S.-Israel military campaign against Iran approached its three-week mark, having begun on February 28. Araghchi referenced General William Westmoreland's 1967 testimony to Congress, where the U.S. commander in Vietnam claimed progress despite heavy casualties and an increasingly dire situation. "Americans haven't forgotten how, even as hundreds of U.S. soldiers were dying in Vietnam, and the outcome was already clear, General William Westmoreland was flown home to reassure everyone that the war was going well, that the U.S. was winning," Araghchi wrote. He added that those daily briefings in Saigon, held at 5 p.m. for reporters, earned their nickname for...