War with Iran without an end: The US has already spent $6 billion, but the goal of victory remains unclear

The military campaign against Iran is gradually turning into a costly and strategically uncertain conflict. According to The New York Times, the United States has already spent about 6 billion dollars on current combat operations and activities in the region, yet Washington still lacks a unified answer to the main question: what should be the ultimate outcome of this war.

The majority of the expenses have been on defensive measures. About 4 billion dollars have been spent on munitions, primarily on interceptor missiles designed to counter Iranian missile and drone attacks. This underscores the nature of the current conflict: a significant portion of resources is going not towards offense, but towards the protection of military infrastructure and U.S. allies in the Middle East.

Amid rising costs, the increasingly pressing question arises — can the current strategy lead to a clear military or political outcome.

The scale of strikes on Iran and the actual state of its arsenal

During the current campaign, American and Israeli forces have struck approximately four thousand targets on Iranian territory. The attacks have targeted military facilities, drone program infrastructure, weapon depots, and elements of missile infrastructure.

However, as NYT sources in the U.S. government note, the scale of these strikes has not yet led to a strategic breakthrough. According to their estimates, Tehran still retains about half of its missile arsenal, as well as a significant portion of drones, which continue to play a key role in regional operations.

This means that despite intensive strikes, Iran’s military potential remains substantial. Moreover, the country’s ability to continue producing and launching drones allows Tehran to maintain pressure on U.S. and allied air defense systems in the Persian Gulf region.

Drones as a factor in a protracted war

Analysts pay particular attention to the role of drones. In recent years, Iran has been actively developing the production of strike drones, including well-known models like the ‘Shahed’.

These systems have become one of the symbols of modern warfare: cheap, mass-produced, and capable of overwhelming enemy missile defenses. Their use in the Middle East shows that such technologies can be used not only in local conflicts but also in confrontations between major states.

Why Washington cannot articulate the goal of the war

According to NYT, one of the main problems of the current campaign is the lack of a clear definition of victory. There is no unified understanding in the American political leadership whether the outcome of the conflict should be the military defeat of Iran’s military infrastructure, a shift in the strategic balance of power in the region, or political pressure on Iran’s leadership.

The situation is further complicated by public statements from Donald Trump, which, according to sources, have repeatedly changed as the conflict developed. This increases uncertainty not only within the American administration but also among U.S. allies.

In the midst of this discussion, analysts at НАновости — Israel News | Nikk.Agency draw attention to an important detail: modern wars increasingly begin faster than their strategic goals are formulated. This creates the risk of protracted campaigns where military operations continue, but the political outcome remains vague.

Iran’s readiness for a long conflict

Meanwhile, the Iranian side is demonstrating readiness for a prolonged war. A representative of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Ali Mohammad Naeini, stated that the country’s armed forces are capable of conducting intensive combat operations for at least six months at the current level of operations.

Such statements reflect Tehran’s strategy: the focus is on endurance, mass production of drones, and retaining part of the missile arsenal in case of further escalation.

In this logic, Iran is attempting to turn the conflict into a war of attrition, where time becomes a key factor. The longer the confrontation continues, the higher the financial and political burden on the U.S. and its allies.

Against this backdrop, the question of what exactly should be considered a victory becomes not only a military but also a political problem. While discussions about strategic goals continue in Washington, the conflict in the Middle East is gradually acquiring the characteristics of a long regional war.