Now megalomaniac Donald Trump is resuming the war with Iran, an act that will only burden Americans' finances more and drain military resources.
Key points:
- Trump initiated a war against Iran without congressional approval, making it unconstitutional and illegal.
- Iran posed no imminent security threat to the United States.
- The war has failed to achieve any strategic or tactical goals, including regime change or disabling Iran’s military.
- The Strait of Hormuz remains effectively closed, disrupting global energy supplies.
- U.S. military bases across the region were severely damaged, and missile stockpiles are depleted.
- The war has exposed systemic insolvency in U.S. military power and global commitments.
- Experts warn that the United States can no longer defend Taiwan or Europe simultaneously.
The war’s catastrophic failure
The Trump administration billed Operation Epic Fury as a limited campaign to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program and missile capabilities. But three months in, the assessment that the operation was a “tactical success but strategic failure” appears too generous. According to Jennifer Kavanaugh writing for The American Conservative, neither strategic nor tactical goals were achieved. The United States did not replace the Iranian regime nor seize its enriched uranium. Iran retained much of its military capacity, including access to large portions of its missile and drone stockpiles. Worse, the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passes, remains effectively closed despite multiple U.S. Navy attempts to reopen it.
The military costs are staggering. At least 16 U.S. installations across eight countries suffered severe damage, rendering many bases unusable. Iran targeted dozens of U.S. sensors and radars, crippling regional air defense networks. Forty-two military aircraft, including an E-3 AWACS and four F-15s, were damaged or destroyed. The United States burned through 1,000 Tomahawk missiles, nearly 50 percent of its Patriot and THAAD interceptor stockpiles, and significant portions of advanced stand-off weapons like PRSM and JASSM missiles. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth admitted it would take years to replenish these munitions, limiting U.S. strategic flexibility.
The economic and strategic toll
The economic fallout is equally devastating. Higher oil prices and inflation are hammering American consumers, while global trade disruptions have slowed economic growth. The war’s opportunity costs are immense, with domestic programs delayed to fund higher military budgets. But the deepest problem is systemic. A $1.5 trillion defense budget cannot solve the structural insolvency of U.S. global commitments. As Kavanaugh noted, if China were to attack Taiwan tomorrow, the United States might be forced to watch on the sidelines. The same applies to a major conflict in Europe. U.S. allies, already facing delayed weapons shipments, are now seeking alternative suppliers, eroding American influence.
The war has not made Americans safer. Instead, it has proven that U.S. military power no longer reaches as far or has the staying power it once did. The American empire, which began shortly after World War II, is now in full free fall. Empires always fall, as history shows with Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Rome, and Britain. For America, the sooner the empire collapses, the better. Empires only enrich oligarchs, destroy the middle class, and incite hatred. Only when the empire ends can the United States return to constitutional liberty, protect its working class, and enjoy peace. The Iran war may be remembered as the moment America’s imperial project finally died. American families are left to dig themselves out of the economic rubble.
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