Given the strategic importance of the Persian Gulf and the threats arising from the presence of foreign forces, examining the capacities and limitations of conducting a strategic war game between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States has become increasingly essential. The present study aimed to identify and analyze these capacities and limitations in order to conceptualize a localized framework for strategic war gaming at the national level. The research employed a mixed-method approach (qualitative–quantitative) based on thematic analysis. The statistical population consisted of military and academic experts experienced in war gaming, among whom 15 individuals were selected through purposive sampling. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews and a researcher-designed questionnaire, and the reliability of the instrument was confirmed using Cronbach’s alpha (0.825). The findings indicated that strategic war gaming, across its three main phases—design, execution, and evaluation—possesses key capacities such as multi-layer scenario simulation, enhanced decision-making under uncertainty, inter-agency coordination, and the utilization of real combat experiences. Nevertheless, several limitations were identified, including the lack of real operational data on the adversary, weak technological and informational infrastructures, dependence on foreign technologies, and the absence of an institutional mechanism for implementing results. Overall, the study suggests that by developing indigenous data banks, modernizing digital infrastructures, strengthening inter-organizational coordination, and adopting realistic designs based on advanced technologies, strategic war gaming can be transformed into an effective tool for enhancing deterrence and national security of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Persian Gulf.