Iran War Causes Strategic Setback for Israel and US

Middle Eastern outlets stress that Iran has spent years preparing for this confrontation and is now trying to raise the cost of war for Israel and the US. They highlight Tehran’s refusal to accept an unconditional ceasefire, its claim that it can fight for months, and its use of regional allies and asymmetric tactics to keep pressure on its enemies. Many voices in the region frame the conflict as another example of Western and Israeli aggression that could backfire by weakening US influence and further destabilising the Middle East.

• •Iranian leaders present their ability to fight for months as proof that US and Israeli strikes have not broken the country’s core military capacity.
• •Tehran is using prepared defensive networks, missile forces, and allied groups to make the war more expensive for Israel and the US.
• •Regional commentators argue that Mossad operations inside Iran rely heavily on US intelligence and security gaps in Iranian defences.
• •Iran’s refusal of an unconditional ceasefire is framed as resistance to what it sees as imposed surrender terms.
• •Some Middle Eastern writers say the war could erode US standing in the region and encourage other states to hedge away from Washington.