According to the International Crisis Group, the recent US-Iran conflict has ended with both sides claiming victory—even as analyst Ali Vaez calls it "epic folly." The reality, he argues, is far grimmer. Iran survived but faces economic devastation. The US and Israel weakened some Iranian military capabilities but failed to topple the regime, reduce Iran's strategic reach, or hammer out a better nuclear deal. In the end, Vaez frames it as a lose-lose outcome where every party paid enormous costs for minimal strategic gain.

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