The Iran War, Eight Months On

Over seven months after Operation Epic Fury began, the Iran war has reached a costly stalemate. Washington’s stated objectives remain largely unmet, and the United States is paying a steep price in the form of higher gas prices, depleted munitions, and an increasingly emboldened Iran.

This event — inspired by Stimson’s most recent assessment of the conflict — returns to a central question: was the Iran war worth it? Panelists will evaluate whether the war has furthered core U.S. national security interests, what the evidence now shows about the war’s costs and benefits, and what lessons should inform U.S. policy toward Iran going forward. The discussion will also examine what a strategically coherent endgame might look like, particularly in light of the midterm elections.

Image: U.S. Navy, 261006-N-AW546-1024, by Seaman Matthew Wolf