War on Iran: Why Israel and the US are the ultimate losers

War on Iran: Why Israel and the US are the ultimate losers Submitted by Hisham Bustani on Fri, 04/10/2026 - 19:36 A campaign aimed at weakening or destabilising the government in Tehran seems to have had the opposite effect A man burns a picture of US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during an antiwar protest in the Philippines, on 9 April 2026 (Jam Sta Rosa/AFP) On Taking into account the continuously changing objectives of the US - Israeli war on Iran - which range from inciting internal turmoil and regime change, to dismantling Iran’s civilian nuclear programme, eliminating its missile capacity and unconditionally opening the Strait of Hormuz - it is clear that none have been achieved. Rather, the campaign largely failed. Iran, despite suffering heavy civilian casualties and the assassination of first- and second-tier leadership, was able to maintain and even reinforce its governing authority.