Operation 'Epic Failure' tally: $50 billion and a lost strait

Operation 'Epic Failure' tally: $50 billion and a lost strait

After 38 days of hostilities, a ceasefire has brought an end to the US military operation against Iran. The tally, based on leaked data and analyses from economic forums, paints a devastating picture for the American power: destroyed bases, downed fighter jets and Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz that threatens to reshape the global energy market. The figures, though unofficial, point to $50 billion in losses of military equipment, not counting the human cost, which remains classified.

$50 billion in equipment and military helplessness

The list of American losses, compiled in the forum's analyses, includes numerous bases in the Middle East, fighter jets considered invulnerable, helicopters, an AWACS aircraft and drones. One user puts the cost at $50 billion, for destroyed equipment alone, excluding the rebuilding of the bases. The failure to break Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has become the symbol of the military humiliation. According to the sources, Iranian hypersonic missiles overwhelmed US defense systems, preventing warships from getting close.

The energy shock: from Hormuz to the Western wallet

Iran's control of Hormuz has triggered a global rise in energy prices. Although some analysts argue that Europe gets only 14% of its crude from the Middle East (according to Eurostat), the law of one price pushes quotations upward. Western industry, especially in the United States, sees its productivity eroded. The debate over whether the increase is artificial or real fades into the background: the damage is already done. Moreover, the possibility of crude oil being traded in yuan threatens the dollar's status as a reserve currency.

Two readings of a war of attrition

Positions are sharply divided. On one side are those who consider the operation a total disaster: Iran has consolidated its control over Hormuz and demonstrated its capacity for resistance. The sarracena of American forces has been undermined. On the other side, it is pointed out that Iran also suffered severe losses: the assassination of its Supreme Leader, the destruction of its Parliament, refineries and hundreds of commanders. A middle-ground view suggests the war has been a mutual war of attrition, with more than 11,000 Iranian soldiers killed, but that the regime endures and emerges strengthened in the region.

The ceasefire leaves more questions than answers. The global economic bill — energy inflation, disruption of shipping routes, geopolitical uncertainty — will be paid for months. Meanwhile, Washington's official narrative clashes with the facts of a battlefield it failed to dominate.