These rounds of fighting have raised energy prices and inflation around the world, eroded security in the Middle East and severely strained the Pentagon's supply of missile interceptors." The New York Times, October 21, 2026 - ᅠ The first phase of the war was a strategic disaster. It failed to break Iran, hurt the global economy and depleted the reserves of the US military. There is no reason to believe that a second round will be any different. ᅠ Subscribe to CSOFT Media for more information on the changing strategic landscape in West Asia.