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Home / US-Israel-Iran / Iran war: what Trump’s conflict has REALLY cost the U.S.
US‑Israel‑Iran, Iran, Middle East

August 28, 2026

Iran war: what Trump’s conflict has REALLY cost the U.S.

It’s been six months since the U.S. launched its war with Iran. Donald Trump said it would be ‘over quickly’. Instead, it has dragged on, with the military might of the U.S. held at bay by a force a fraction of its size. The Strait of Hormuz remains at a near stand still, making oil prices volatile and, in turn, impacting the global economy. Rising prices back home, embarrassing reports of dismal conditions for forces aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, and a failure to end the conflict quickly has helped the Iran war become the most unpopular in modern American history… and it has only taken six months. In this episode of FourSight, we examine what’s actually happened to Trump’s stated war aims: to reduce Iran’s missile capabilities, end its nuclear programme, and force regime change. We ask what this war has cost America in military strength, regional alliances, and Trump’s own approval ratings. Is there any way the President or his so-called Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, can claim some kind of victory or will this foreign policy failure define Trump’s second-term in office?

Watch at Channel 4 News

Featuring

Rosemary
Kelanic

Director, Middle East Program

Defense Priorities

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