A veteran intelligence voice is sounding the alarm over what he sees as a dangerous miscalculation by Washington.

Former CIA officer Christopher Burgess warned that the United States may be underestimating Iran’s willingness to endure extreme hardship in conflict.

“We should not underestimate their ability to withstand pain,” Burgess said, pointing to history as a stark reminder.

He referenced the brutal Iran–Iraq War, where Iran demonstrated what he described as an extraordinary level of sacrifice:

“They were willing to send 12 year-old children across minefields to clear them. That’s the level of sacrifice they’re willing to make and I’m not sure the U.S. has fully calculated that.”

The Iran-Iraq War, which lasted eight years and resulted in massive casualties on both sides, is often cited as one of the deadliest and most grueling conflicts of the 20th century highlighting Iran’s capacity for prolonged endurance under extreme conditions. 

Burgess’s warning foreshadows growing concern among some analysts that Western strategic assumptions may fail to account for ideological resilience and historical precedent inside Iran, factors that could dramatically shape any future confrontation.