This study examines the evolution of the order-building rivalry between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States in West Asia, specifically addressing how this confrontation has altered the balance of regional order-building. The theoretical framework draws upon offensive and defensive realism to understand power distribution, survival, self-help, balancing, and deterrence. "Order-building balance" is conceptualized as the relative capacity of actors to influence security rules and arrangements, shape the behavior of other actors, maintain and reconfigure aligned networks, establish deterrence, impose costs, and constrain a rival's freedom of action. Employing a qualitative approach, the study relies on document analysis, political ethnography, fifty-four semi-structured interviews, and the researcher's own field experience. The evidence reveals three distinct phases: direct US interventionism (2001–2006), the expansion of network-based rivalry and indirect order-building (2007–2020), and the intensification of direct confrontation (2020–2026). The findings indicate that the conventional superiority of the United States and the Zionist regime has not necessarily resulted in the establishment of a hegemonic order. Despite suffering significant strategic setbacks, Iran has maintained its capacity to exert influence across key order-building components—ranging from recovery, reconstruction, and deterrence to the reconfiguration of regional networks. On this basis, the study’s main hypothesis is confirmed: