Araghchi compares US to Vietnam: The reality is different

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi criticized US statements regarding Iran by comparing them to the Vietnam War era. In a post on his social media account, Araghchi said, "The Americans have not forgotten how, while hundreds of soldiers were losing their lives in Vietnam and the outcome of the war was clearly evident, General William Westmoreland would return to the country to say that the war was going well and that the US was winning."

Stating that the US administration makes statements that do not align with the realities on the ground, Araghchi said, "The media has also not forgotten that those briefings given from the front, which did not align with reality, gained a bad reputation as the 'Five O'Clock Follies'. Coming to today, the same scenario, a different stage. (US Secretary of Defense Pete) Hegseth takes the podium and the message delivered is still disconnected from reality. The US government says one thing, but the reality is something else."

Criticizing US statements regarding Iran's military capacity, Araghchi stated, "At the very moment US officials claim that Iran's air defenses have been destroyed, an F-35 fighter jet is shot down. While it is announced that the Iranian navy has been neutralized, the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford turns back, and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln moves even further away."

Araghchi added to his criticisms of the US, saying, "A different era, but the same rhetoric: 'We are winning'."

The "Five O'Clock Follies" of the Vietnam War

During the Vietnam War, US military officials regularly held press conferences in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon during the war period). During these meetings, which were generally held at 17:00 local time, information regarding the progress of the war was shared, but it was noted that the statements did not align with the realities on the ground.

As images from the front and independent news reports contradicted these statements, the briefings in question lost their credibility among journalists. For this reason, members of the press mockingly referred to these meetings as the "Five O'Clock Follies".

Over time, this expression became a symbolic concept describing official statements made to the public during wartime that are considered to be far from reality.

News Source: 12punto