US Strategy Falters as 40-Day Iran Conflict Shifts Regional Dynamics

The 40-day conflict between the United States and Iran, initially planned as a swift and controlled operation, unraveled into a protracted engagement that exposed significant miscalculations in Washington’s strategy. The war, which began as an effort to compel Tehran into retreat, instead broadened in scope and intensified regional instability, imposing steep costs on US military and economic interests. The US had assumed that Iran would respond predictably, mirroring its behavior in prior clash