Though all wars are unique, there are some striking similarities between the present US-Iran war and the US-Vietnam war, as mentioned below:

1. Failure of the Expected Quick Victory

The US-Israeli attack on Iran was expected to bring a quick victory by killing Ayatollah Khameini and a regime change, by installing a pro-US regime, but this has clearly failed, as explained below.

Now the war has become a war of attrition, a stalemate, like the US-Vietnam war, and will be long drawn (despite President Trump’s claim to the contrary). In this situation, Iran will win, by simply not surrendering, like the Vietnamese, since Americans cannot afford a long war.

Also, Iran is striking back with missiles and drone attacks on Israel and US assets in the Middle East.

2. Support from Powerful Allies

Just as the Vietnamese were aided by China and Russia, so is Iran in the present conflict. China and Russia are powerful industrialized nations, so their help means Iran is not isolated, and will be helped by them in various ways. Also, Iran has allies like Hezbollah and Houthis, which may soon join the war. Iraq has 60–65% Shias, and they are seething in anger against the attack on Iran, which is predominantly a Shia country.

3. National Unity in the Face of War

Just as almost the whole Vietnam population was united in the war with America, so have the Iranians been strongly united in the present war, particularly after the killing of Ayatollah Khameini, who is now regarded as a martyr, like Imam Husain in Karbala. The Americans thought that after the killing of Ayatollah Khameini the Iranian people will come out in huge numbers on the streets of Iran, demanding a regime change. Instead, what actually happened was that huge crowds did indeed come out on the streets, but these condemned America and Israel for this barbaric war.

4. Underground Tunnels and Missile Cities

In the Vietnam war, the Vietnamese built tunnels and mini cities deep underground (as in Cu Chi), to escape from American air bombing. These tunnels and mini cities not only provided protection and shelter to Vietnamese soldiers, some even had hospitals and schools for civilians, children, etc.

Similarly, it seems that the Iranians have done the same, which is evident from the fact that they are launching their missile and drone strikes not from the surface of their land (where they could be destroyed by US and Israeli jets) but from deep underground (where they are undetectable and unassailable).

It is reported that the Iranians have even built factories for manufacturing these missiles and drones deep underground. This indicates that a section of the Iranian people, including scientists, engineers, construction workers, persons who operate the missiles and drones, some civilians, and possibly even their families, have started living in mini cities deep underground, as was done by the Vietnamese in the war against America.

5. Growing Opposition within the United States

As it happened during the Vietnam war, a large number of Americans (including Democrat Congressmen/Congresswomen, and some prominent people) are speaking out, and protesting on streets, against the war, and this is bound to increase as the war drags on, and its horrors revealed to the public (like the killing of 165 Iranian school girls by an American/Israeli air strike, which was reminiscent of the My Lai massacre in Vietnam in 1968). Also, wars are expensive affairs, and a long war means inflation and increased taxation on the American public (apart from surge in oil prices), which are bound to be opposed by ordinary Americans.

6. Civilian Casualties and Atrocities

Just as the Americans barbarically killed civilians, including women and children, in large numbers, in their war against Vietnam (e.g. the My Lai massacre), so also they are doing the same in their present war against Iran, including bombing hospitals, schools, etc.

So the parallels of the present US war on Iran to the Vietnam war are numerous, and everyone knows who won that war.