Iran War Enters Seventh Month: No End in Sight

The Iran war has entered its seventh month without an end in sight. The conflict began on February 28, when US and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury.

The initial aim was to take out the regime's leadership, cripple its military, and force Tehran to the negotiating table. However, the war has become a relentless, shapeshifting conflict that has killed thousands, displaced millions, shut the world's most important oil corridor, and produced no winner.

Last week saw a resurgence in fighting, with US forces striking Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island and Iran firing back at US targets in Jordan. The conflict has already gone through more phases than most wars manage in years.

The Gulf states have worked to stay outside the conflict but have discovered that restraint offers no guarantee of protection. The UAE Ministry of Defence has intercepted 174 ballistic missiles and 689 drones since February, while two supertankers were struck by unknown projectiles on August 31.