Are Iran and the US fighting a war neither side can win?

Are Iran and the US fighting a war neither side can win? Submitted by Shahir Shahidsaless on Thu, 07/23/2026 - 15:43 Both Tehran and Washington might think time is on their side, but the mounting costs could push them back to the negotiating table Signs protesting the Iran war and its impacts on gas prices are seen during a protest outside the US Capitol in Washington, DC, on 20 May 2026 (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images/AFP) On The escalating war between the United States and Iran is no longer about Tehran’s nuclear programme, nor even about regime change, the objective that initially drove Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s campaign to draw US President Donald Trump into the conflict. It is now a struggle for control over the Strait of Hormuz.