Although the U.S. military has declared success in rescuing the F-15 crew downed by Iran, the operation came at a heavy cost, including lost aircraft, wounded troops, and a symbolic and political setback that could haunt Trump, recalling the political fallout faced by Jimmy Carter.

Pezeshkian’s apology for the targeting of neighboring countries, along with the temporary leadership council’s approval to suspend the strikes, has raised questions about the council’s ability to control the IRGC overseeing military operations against the U.S. and "Israel."

As Israeli-American strikes pounded Iran, Tehran retaliated by targeting Gulf states over their hosting of U.S. military bases, prompting urgent questions about why countries such as Turkiye, Azerbaijan, and Armenia, which host similar facilities, were spared.

As Iranian strikes expanded beyond U.S. bases in the Gulf and official threats of military retaliation mounted, questions intensified over whether the Gulf states might be drawn—against their will—into the fire of war.

The Houthis in Yemen have emerged as one of Iran’s most visible and consequential regional proxies, stepping beyond a local war to become a key player closely tied to the calculations of an increasingly internationalized confrontation.