One hundred days after the United States and Israel launched a war they said would neutralize Iran and reshape the balance of power in the Middle East, the conflict has instead evolved into a costly stalemate that continues to rattle global energy markets, strain Western economies and leave the region without a clear political settlement.
As the war entered its 100th day on Sunday, Iran remained under intense military and economic pressure, having suffered thousands of deaths, extensive infrastructure damage and the loss of senior military and political leaders.
Yet despite those losses, the Iranian state remains intact, its leadership structure has survived, and key disputes that triggered the conflict remain unresolved.
The war began on February 28 when US and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iranian targets, arguing that Tehran’s nuclear program posed an unacceptable security threat.
Since then, according to figures compiled by conflict monitoring organizations and cited by international media, thousands have been killed and millions displaced across Iran and the wider region.
But while Washington and Tel Aviv have repeatedly portrayed the campaign as a success, questions are growing about whether the strategic objectives have actually been achieved.
According to a University of Maryland survey cited by Al Jazeera, only 16% of American voters believe the United States is winning the war, while a majority say the conflict has harmed rather than advanced US interests.
Even among Republican voters, a substantial minority now view the war negatively.
The economic consequences have been equally significant.
Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz in response to the attacks disrupted one of the world’s most important energy corridors, through which roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas supplies normally pass.
The disruption triggered sharp increases in energy prices, pushed fuel costs higher across major economies and forced governments around the world to introduce emergency measures to shield consumers.
Researchers cited by Newsweek estimated that American households alone have incurred billions of dollars in additional fuel-related costs since the conflict began, while US military expenditures linked to the war have continued to mount.
At the same time, analysts note that Iran has demonstrated an ability to impose costs on its adversaries despite facing overwhelming military pressure.
Newsweek reported that Iranian retaliatory strikes damaged military assets across the region, while Tehran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz have continued to influence global energy markets more than two months after major combat operations subsided.
The conflict has also produced wider geopolitical consequences.
China, Iran’s largest trading partner, has emerged as a key diplomatic player in discussions surrounding the conflict, while regional powers continue to assess the implications of a prolonged confrontation that has spread beyond Iran’s borders into Lebanon and across the Gulf.
Perhaps most importantly, the central issue that sparked the war remains unresolved.
International inspectors continue to face limited access to Iran’s nuclear facilities, while Iranian officials maintain that the country’s nuclear program and uranium enrichment activities are not open to negotiation.
Despite repeated statements from US President Donald Trump that a deal is close, no comprehensive settlement has yet emerged.
For Iran, the first 100 days have brought devastating human and economic costs.
Yet for its adversaries, the war has delivered its own uncomfortable reality: after 100 days of conflict, Iran remains standing, the region remains unstable, energy markets remain disrupted and the prospect of a lasting peace remains uncertain.
As ceasefire talks continue and both sides claim strategic gains, the defining question of the war’s first 100 days may be whether a conflict launched to fundamentally weaken Iran has instead revealed the limits of military power in reshaping the Middle East.
