By Nearly Every Metric, the U.S. Is Losing the Iran War

Analysis “It’s irrefutable that the U. S. failed in its main strategic goals,” one expert said. , a staff writer at Foreign Policy. President Donald Trump is seen standing behind Gen. Dan Caine at the White House. President Donald Trump looks on as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine speaks about Iran war at the White House in Washington on April 6. Kent Nishimura/AFP via Get audio access with any FP subscription. LOGIN September 17, 2026, PM Analysis and news. President Donald Trump said that the United States had already “won” the war against Iran but still had to “finish the job.” Months later, as fighting escalates across the region and diplomacy is stalled, the “job” remains unfinished with no end in sight. Trump on Wednesday said that “hopefully we are toward the end of the war” and suggested that Iran wants to make a deal. But that optimism is belied by what’s happening on the ground—and there’s little evidence that Tehran is eager for an agreement. President Donald Trump said that the United States had already “won” the war against Iran but still had to “finish the job.” Months later, as fighting escalates across the region and diplomacy is stalled, the “job” remains unfinished with no end in sight. Trump on Wednesday said that “hopefully we are toward the end of the war” and suggested that Iran wants to make a deal. But that optimism is belied by what’s happening on the ground—and there’s little evidence that Tehran is eager for an agreement. The United States has had military successes in the war, but, overall, the conflict has been a strategic disaster for Washington. The fighting has exposed serious vulnerabilities for the U. S. military and left its forces spread thin, cost the United States an estimated $38.1 billion so far, and caused a global energy crisis. The war is extremely unpopular with American voters, and a growing number of Republicans in Congress are voting in favor of ending the conflict; one GOP congressman has even moved to impeach Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the war. But for all of those costs, the United States has achieved very little in Iran—and in some cases, things have gotten worse. —from Iran’s ability to project power in the region through its proxies, to its military capabilities, to the strength of its regime, to the status of its nuclear program—the United States is losing the war.