More than six months into Iran war, no clear winner as costs mount for US The conflict has strained the United States military, shaken energy markets and piled political pressure on President Donald Trump. WASHINGTON: More than six months after the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran, the swift victory that Washington had hoped for has given way to a costly stalemate with no clear end in sight.

What US officials had initially suggested would be a campaign lasting several weeks has instead become a protracted conflict. The months since have seen a fragile ceasefire, negotiations, the signing of a memorandum of understanding and, most recently, renewed flare-ups in hostilities.

The latest escalation came on Sunday (Aug 30), when the US military struck two rocket launchers on Iran’s Larak Island, with Tehran responding with an assault on two US bases in Jordan. US MILITARY UNDER STRAIN US and Israeli strikes first hit Iran on Feb 28, with Tehran quickly retaliating against US bases across the Middle East.

By the following day, Iran was mourning its supreme leader of 36 years, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening strikes. At the outset of the campaign, Washington laid out its primary military objectives. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Mar 2 that the operation aimed to “destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure”, while ensuring Iran would “never have nuclear weapons”.

However, Trump’s claim in April that Iran’s military had been “completely destroyed” has also faced scrutiny as questions persist over Tehran’s remaining capabilities. For the US military, sustaining the campaign is becoming increasingly difficult. Estimates reported in July suggested that the cost of the conflict could exceed US$100 billion, while US munitions stockpiles have come under growing strain.

Washington’s move to continue deploying military assets in the region to exert pressure on Tehran is also adding to the Pentagon’s financial burden. “Sustaining the military presence, the tempo necessary to have a strategic effect on Iran, it's difficult for the (US) navy to do this on a continuous basis,” said Paul Fraioli, a senior fellow for technology, geopolitics and strategy at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

ENERGY SHOCK FOR ASIA One of the unintended consequences of the conflict has been the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments. The disruption to shipping through the waterway has sparked a global energy crisis and spiked petrol prices in the US.

The impact has been particularly acute in Asia, where several economies rely heavily on oil and gas imported from the Middle East. The uncertainty over continued energy supplies could ultimately push some to reconsider where they source their energy from.

“We might see demand destruction,” said Petras Katinas, a research fellow in climate, energy and defence at the Royal United Services Institute. “That means that member countries in Asia, in Europe, they might say, ‘well because we are unsecured in terms of security of supply, we might try and find some alternative energy sources.

” TRUMP FACES POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES The prolonged war is also affecting US domestic politics. US President Donald Trump’s approval rating has fallen to the lowest level of his presidency, with an overwhelming majority of Americans concerned that the war could drag on, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll concluded on Aug 17.

Just 33 per cent of respondents said they approved of Trump’s performance in the White House, while 64 per cent disapproved. With the US midterm elections due in November, the conflict could become a significant test for Republicans as they fight to retain control of the House of Representatives.

Even if a truce agreement is reached in the near term, issues surrounding Iran – including its control over the Strait of Hormuz, its role in regional politics and Washington’s evolving relationship with its Gulf allies – are likely to resurface and “continue to give bad headlines for the Trump administration”, said Fraioli.

US TURNS TO ECONOMIC PRESSURE With military action failing to produce a decisive outcome, Washington is also attempting to tighten Iran’s economic isolation. Last week, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent threatened sanctions on countries that refuse to cut economic ties with Iran.

“We are going to hold everyone accountable, and this is economic asphyxiation of this regime,” he said, adding that countries that do not join US sanctions would “share” in Iran’s isolation. With China remaining Iran’s main trading partner, that strategy carries risks of its own.

Hours after the US sanctioned dozens of Chinese entities and threatened to target an unspecified “major financial institution” over its dealings with Tehran, Beijing said its relationship with Iran “should not be disrupted or undermined”. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian warned that China would take “all necessary measures” to safeguard its interests.

“There's a very delicate trade truce between the US and China,” said Reuters trade and global economy correspondent David Lawder. “Taking action against a major Chinese bank that would cut them off from the international financial system would be pretty detrimental to that relationship and could cause some serious problems,” he added.

Washington’s ultimate objective remains unresolved six months on: ensuring that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. Iran still possesses enriched uranium, and efforts to reach a deal on its disposal remain elusive.

Donald Trump has resorted to posting embarrassing AI-generated videos suggesting his war on Iran is going well after his own military leaders warned against expanding operations in the Middle East. The 80-year-old president posted two fake videos on Truth Social showing a military attack on Kharg Island, Iran’s oil export hub, which handled around 90 percent of the country’s oil exports before the war broke out.

In one, Trump claimed it was being “blown to smithereens!!!” There has been no such attack on Kharg Island, but the cringe AI videos were posted after the U.S. carried out rocket launcher strikes on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran responded by attacking two U.

S. bases in Jordan as both countries fought each other for the first time since July. Trump’s desperate AI posting also came after a damning leak revealed that several U.S. military leaders had warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against continuing large-scale operations in Iran over fears that doing so would hinder the U.

S. military’s ability to respond to threats elsewhere. The Iran conflict has dragged on for six months, with no real end in sight. According to a classified Aug. 14 report known as the Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB)—obtained by The Washington Post—leading generals and admirals fear that continuing to divert ships, aircraft, and stockpiles to the Iran war is unsustainable.

They also expressed concern about keeping around 50,000 troops on alert for months in case Trump orders increased attacks. One person familiar with the assessment said the general feeling among top military brass is that the Iran war has been “too much for too long.

” Another source added that while it is common for military leaders to assess risk around any conflict, the outlook regarding Iran is now “more dire” overall. It was also revealed that the leaders of the U.S. European Command, U.S. Pacific Command, and U.

S. Southern Command, along with the Navy’s top admiral, each responded with a “non-concur” to Hegseth’s orders to have troops remain in the Middle East into 2027. This means they do not agree with the orders but will carry them out nevertheless. The Post reported last week that Russia considers the U.

S. significantly weaker because of the Iran war and how much it has depleted its weapons stockpiles. It is feared that Russian President Vladimir Putin could use this as an excuse to launch an attack on a NATO country, believing that any U.S. response would be severely hindered.

Trump has been widely mocked for posting AI-generated videos about the Iran war that are not based in reality. Richard Ojeda, a former West Virginia state senator and retired United States Army major, wrote on X while sharing a screengrab of Trump’s “smithereens” post: “Donald Trump is fighting a war in VR while our troops are going without, our bases are being destroyed, and our munitions are depleting.

Pure buffoonery.” Author and geopolitical analyst Brandon Weichert added: “I’m telling you guys and gals here: Trump is getting ready to do something bats--t crazy--which is why the generals and admirals are leaking SDOB to the WaPo. They’re FREAKING OUT because it’s obvious that Trump and his team are going to make them do something nutty.

” The Daily Beast has contacted the White House for comment.

US forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island on Sunday, marking the first strikes on Iranian territory since late July, an official told Axios, Anadolu reports. The operation, which followed a month-long period of relative stagnation in direct military engagements, targeted systems allegedly being prepared to launch rockets carrying sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil transit point.

According to the US official, American forces are “monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce” through the strategic waterway. The Strait of Hormuz narrows to just 39 kilometers (24 miles) between Larak Island and Oman’s Great Quoin Island.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said several fighters and civilians were killed and injured in the strike and vowed to respond. Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported that preliminary information suggested it was a drone attack. READ: Iran war depletes US military stockpiles, limiting global deterrence: Report Further details regarding the outcome of the strike were not immediately available.

US President Donald Trump recently said that all mines had been removed from the Strait of Hormuz, and warned of a “zero tolerance policy” on new mine placement. He said Washington was utilizing “Space Force” technology to monitor the area with extreme precision.

Iranian officials have asserted that “no one except Iran knows the location” of the mines in the strategic waterway. Tensions between Tehran and Washington have remained high since the war began with strikes on Iran in late February. Although a memorandum of understanding was signed in June through Pakistani and Qatari mediation, the US began a two-week bombing campaign and reimposed a naval blockade in July after differences over navigation in the strait.

It has yet to be seen whether the latest strike represents a one-time operation or the start of a sustained new bombing campaign.

NEW YORK, August 31. /TASS/. The prospect of a US military victory over Iran appears unlikely, writes The New York Times. According to the newspaper, airstrikes have not helped Washington accomplish its goals. Now, the administration of US President Donald Trump is relying on a naval blockade and economic sanctions.

"There are early signs of an uptick in the number of ships and oil exports transiting the strait [of Hormuz]. Despite the modest gains, US military leaders are no longer talking about a swift victory. Instead, they are describing a campaign that would put pressure on Iran for months or longer," the article author believes.

The US military likely could reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before the war started. "It is a doable task," Thomas G. Mahnken, who served as a senior Pentagon official under President George W. Bush, told the newspaper. "But it would take some effort on the ground, just because the Iranians have spent decades building and fortifying positions.

" However, the newspaper writes, the Americans and Trump are unlikely to be willing to bear the cost of such an operation "in blood and treasure.".