Iran and the US Are Trapped In a War Neither Knows How to Win

Connecting decision makers to a dynamic network of information, people and ideas, Bloomberg quickly and accurately delivers business and financial information, news and insight around the world A bitter rivalry lasting almost five decades has locked the two opponents into a protracted war. History tells us this doesn’t end well. Illustration: Reya Ahmed for Bloomberg Operation Midnight Hammer, the first-ever American strike on Iran, in June 2025, lasted 37 hours and saw the United States drop 420,000 pounds of explosives on the country’s uranium-enriching facilities. Once it was over, President Donald Trump declared that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been “completely and totally obliterated.” Just eight months later, the US returned to war. Operation Epic Fury, a campaign waged alongside Israel, launched a broader wave of airstrikes against Iranian targets.

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