US President Donald Trump insists the Iran war will end soon. Suffice it to say that since the Iran war began on February 28, 2026, President Trump has been claiming that 80 to 90 percent of Iran’s entire military power, including its air force, navy and army, has been destroyed, and that Iran is now, by his account, repeatedly calling him to end the war. However,, what the reality is, the whole world knows, even if the US government refuses to acknowledge it. In March, he claimed that “they have nothing left,” in May he said that “the Iranian military has been completely destroyed,” and in July he said that “they have no military left.” But the US media itself and US intelligence have flatly contradicted these claims. CNN revealed in April that according to US intelligence, Iran still has thousands of missiles, approximately half of its drone capability and a large number of coastal defence cruise missiles that can wreak havoc across the region at any time, while according to a report by The Independent, NATO sources say that at least 60 percent of Iran’s missile capability remains intact, and an internal Pentagon assessment echoes the same conclusion. In other words, the American narrative and reality are two starkly opposing things.
On the other hand, US President Trump clamped down on journalist access to prevent information leaks, and in August the Pentagon took an “extraordinary” step by subjecting roughly 50 military and civilian officials to polygraph tests, a measure aimed at separating fact from fiction. Trump also branded the leakers “traitors” and threatened them with “long prison sentences.” The US media itself also revealed how many Patriot missiles the US has, how severely Iranian attacks battered American bases and how US stockpiles are running dangerously low, making clear that reality is exactly the opposite of American claims. According to CNN, since the beginning of the war, the US has used more than 80 percent of the capability of its THAAD interceptors, while according to a CSIS analysis, 65 percent of Patriot interceptors have been used and Washington now has fewer than 1,000 left in reserve. Bloomberg reported in March that more than 2,400 interceptors had been fired by that point to intercept Iranian missile and drone attacks in the Gulf airspace, while Iran fired approximately 1,200 ballistic missiles and 4,000 Shahed drones at the Gulf states. Similarly, in July, three US soldiers were killed in an Iranian ballistic missile strike on Jordan’s Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, and eight F-15 fighter aircraft were damaged — high-resolution satellite images of which were released by Iran itself. According to US figures, 18 American soldiers have been killed and 624 wounded so far, while, per Hegseth, America’s direct military expenditure on the Iran war has topped $37 billion. According to the Iranian Ministry of Health, deaths in Iran alone have exceeded 3,468, while regional deaths, including Lebanon and Iraq, have crossed 6,200.
The reality is that the region is bracing for another painful phase of the Iran–US war, with the area engulfed in conflict. The fighting has shifted from the Strait of Hormuz to the Bab el-Mandeb, where Iran-backed Houthis have begun flexing their muscle.
In just eighteen hours of rapid advance, the Houthis seized the strategic port of Mocha on the Red Sea coast, Dhu Bab and Perim, or Mayyun Island, in the middle of the Bab el-Mandeb, effectively taking control of the entire Yemeni coastal strip — triggering yet another wave of worsening global economic strain.
Houthi sources claim their grip on just six districts of Taiz and Al Hudaydah spans 5,400 square kilometres, and that they carried out 32 operations, shot down 9 aircraft and killed or captured hundreds of opposing soldiers. Previously, approximately 12 percent of global trade, 11 percent of maritime oil transportation and 8 percent of liquefied natural gas passed through the Bab el-Mandeb, but now, with this vital route under threat, Brent crude has surged past $102 per barrel and shipping companies have been forced onto the longer detour around the Cape of Good Hope, adding more than 20 days to voyages. Meanwhile, the Houthis have also pressed on toward government positions in Marib and Taiz, and if this advance continues, the tribes of Marib could also join them — putting the Saudi leadership in a precarious position. This Houthi advance has so far displaced more than 50,000 Yemeni civilians.
On the other hand, according to reports in the US media, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman phoned President Trump twice last week requesting a strike on the Houthis, but Trump declined. The US administration limited itself to providing Saudi Arabia with intelligence and targeting data on the Houthis, while CENTCOM commander Brad Cooper also made an urgent visit to Saudi Arabia, and approximately 200 American troops remain in the kingdom for non-combat assistance. US officials say Trump’s instruction is that American forces should stay focused solely on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz and that no new front should be opened up. Meanwhile, the Houthis have continued drone and missile attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting its oil routes, while the Saudi Air Force strikes back at Houthi positions, including Mocha Airport. In such a volatile climate, the global economy could face further shocks.
As for the Islamabad reconciliation, this 14-point memorandum of understanding was signed on June 17, 2026, through Pakistan’s mediation, reopening the Strait of Hormuz for maritime traffic. However, President Trump declared it terminated on July 8, and Iran followed suit, declaring it invalid on July 14. Iran’s position is that it is the United States exploiting the memorandum as an excuse: the US did not implement the ceasefire under Article 1, did not release Iran’s frozen funds under Article 10, did not allow Iran to export oil under Article 11, and has continued Iran’s naval blockade — hence, Iran claims full justification to stand firm against American aggression. Iran has repeatedly said it does not possess nuclear weapons and is prepared to scale back its uranium stockpile under IAEA supervision, but the West remains unconvinced.
Meanwhile, Pakistan remains in constant touch with all parties to this multinational conflict — Iran, the United States and Saudi Arabia — playing the role of central mediator throughout. Both the two-week ceasefire in April and the Islamabad Memorandum in June were the fruits of Pakistani mediation, and even now, Pakistani and Qatari mediators have put forward a plan for a new 10-day ceasefire, which Iran has received.
It is imperative that the United States, which entered the war with Iran in support of Israel, rethink its policies. Despite all the aggression, the economic blockade and thousands of civilian sacrifices, the Iranian nation remains open to a ceasefire and peaceful resolution even after more than six months — even when the US president threatened to “destroy the entire civilization,” Iran still kept the door to dialogue open. But the question remains: when will the United States be ready for a permanent ceasefire? It’s a question people across the region and around the world, weary of economic devastation, are asking now, louder than ever.
