The U.S. operation against Iran, launched in late February, has exposed vulnerabilities in American military readiness and raised doubts about its ability to sustain a prolonged confrontation with major powers such as Russia or China, according to The National Interest.

The publication points to Operation «Epic Fury» as a revealing case study of deeper structural issues, including limited ammunition stockpiles. After Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, Washington was forced to rapidly reinforce its presence in the region, deploying additional assets such as airborne early warning aircraft and Marine Corps units.

The authors argue that this is what extended military campaigns look like in practice-and suggest that such conditions reflect the kind of demands the U.S. military would face in a conflict involving Russia or China.

Concerns about readiness are not confined to analysts. Senior figures within the U.S. military have acknowledged the shortcomings. Deputy Secretary of the Army Michael Obadal indicated that the current level of preparedness falls short of expectations. He pointed to ongoing problems affecting key weapons systems across both air and ground forces, stressing the need for corrective action.

The scale of the operation underscores the strain. U.S. forces have already expended thousands of munitions, while aircraft from the Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps have each carried out nearly 7,000 combat sorties.

Financially, the campaign is also mounting quickly. According to the Iran War Cost Tracker (IWCT), total U.S. spending on the operation has already surpassed $25 billion.