FLASH
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Despite the military successes, analysts question whether the US president can turn the conflict into a geopolitical victory.
Three months after the US attacked Iran, President Donald Trump faces an increasingly difficult question: is he losing the war?
Although the US has achieved significant military successes against Iran, Tehran's control over the Strait of Hormuz, its refusal to make concessions on its nuclear program, and the survival of the Iranian regime are raising doubts about whether Trump can present the conflict as a clear political and strategic victory.
According to analysts cited by Reuters, Trump's repeated claims of "total victory" are losing credibility as the parties move between uncertain negotiations and new threats of military strikes, which would bring Iranian retaliation across the region.
Experts warn that the US and its allies in the Persian Gulf could emerge from the conflict in a weaker position, while Iran, although damaged militarily and economically, has shown that it can exert pressure on one of the world's most important energy routes.
Aaron David Miller, former US Middle East negotiator, said the conflict that was intended as a quick operation is turning into a long-term strategic failure.
"Three months have passed and it seems that the war that was designed as a quick win for Trump is turning into a long-term strategic failure," he said.
The situation is particularly delicate for Trump, who during the campaign promised to avoid unnecessary military interventions, but now faces a conflict that could damage his reputation in foreign policy.
Meanwhile, the US president is also facing domestic pressure due to rising fuel prices and declining popularity, while the Republican Party is having difficulty maintaining control of Congress.
The White House insists that military objectives have been achieved. Spokeswoman Olivia Wales stated that the US “has met or exceeded all military objectives” in the operation against Iran.
However, many of Trump's stated goals remain unfulfilled.
Iran's nuclear program remains active and Tehran has shown no willingness to significantly limit its uranium enrichment. According to Reuters, enriched uranium reserves are believed to remain hidden underground after last year's US and Israeli bombings.
In addition, Iran's supreme leader has banned the transfer outside the country of uranium near military-grade levels, two Iranian officials told Reuters.
Analysts also warn that war could push Iran to accelerate efforts to acquire nuclear weapons, following the North Korean model.
Another of Trump's objectives, stopping Iranian support for armed groups in the region, has also not been achieved.
According to experts, the new Iranian leaders, considered more radical than their predecessors killed during the war, are expected to maintain a tough stance and maintain missile and drone capabilities.
At the same time, the US is also facing tensions with its European allies, who for the most part refused to join the war against Iran.
Analysts estimate that China and Russia are carefully studying the weaknesses that the US showed when confronting Iranian asymmetric tactics and the large consumption of the American military arsenal.
Robert Kagan, an analyst at the Brookings Institution, warned that the consequences of the conflict could severely damage the US's global standing.
"There will be no return to the previous state, nor an American triumph that can undo the damage done," he wrote in an analysis for The Atlantic magazine.
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