Despite repeated claims that Iran has been weakened, it continues to inflict significant damage on its adversaries, according to an analysis by The National Interest.

The publication argues that talk of Tehran’s «defeat» does not match reality. The consequences of its actions remain tangible: several U.S. military bases in the Persian Gulf region have become unsuitable for deployment, while Israel’s air defense system has shown limited effectiveness.

At the same time, the situation is reverberating far beyond the battlefield. Fuel shortages across parts of Asia and rising energy prices in Europe are, in the authors’ view, reshaping perceptions of Washington — casting it less as a reliable ally and more as a reckless predator.

The magazine also reports that U. S. President Donald Trump may be preparing for an operation aimed at seizing Iran’s Khark Island. The move is being framed as a decisive final blow, though the article questions whether it would truly resolve the conflict.

Hostilities escalated on February 28, when the United States and Israel launched strikes on targets inside Iran, including sites in Tehran. Iran responded by attacking Israeli territory as well as U.S. military facilities across the Middle East.

On March 23, Trump claimed that the sides had reached an understanding on a temporary ceasefire, announcing a five-day pause in strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure. Tehran, however, denied any such agreement. Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf stated that no negotiations had taken place and suggested that statements from the U.S. leadership were intended to manipulate markets.