The Guardian view on Trump, Iran and the ceasefire: a devastating war has only losers

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The US has squandered tens of billions of dollars, burned through its interceptors and torched relations with allies. That may not bother Mr Trump, who had premised victory on the conditional reopening of a waterway that was not closed prior to the conflict. But the war has also spooked markets, raised prices at home and showed signs of fracturing his Maga base.

With strikes traded across the region on Wednesday, Gulf powers are also fuming. They did not want this war to start, but now the US is walking away while leaving an angrier and still dangerous Iran. Their reputations as safe destinations for tourism and investment are shredded and their key sea artery remains choked.

The only real winners are arms manufacturers, Russia – its coffers refilled with oil revenues – and arguably China, at least for now. It looks like a more stable and predictable power, and the US has pivoted away from the Pacific.

This is a strategic defeat for the US that will resound for decades, and a clear sign of its systemic failures. Yet, given the costs of this reckless and illegal war, the best-case scenario may be that Mr Trump, characteristically scorning reality, continues to claim this as a triumph.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/apr/08/the-guardian-view-on-trump-iran-and-the-ceasefire-a-devastating-war-has-only-losers

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