Jacksonville is home to several major naval installations, with ships deployed or preparing to deploy. With the ceasefire now in effect, local families can expect a halt in active fighting — but not in military readiness.

The United States is deploying about 2,500 Marines to the Middle East as the war with Iran enters a new phase centered on the Strait of Hormuz.

What began as a decapitation campaign is drifting toward a geopolitical and economic crisis, which Iran could survive. Without clear aims, a sustaining narrative, or allied cohesion, tactical victories risk translating into strategic defeat.