TEHRAN — Growing opposition to the war launched by the US and Israel against Iran on February 28 has reached a breaking point, as mounting global rage, crippling domestic inflation, and a wave of political rebellion transform America's illegal assault into an unmitigated disaster. 

What Donald Trump promised would be a swift and decisive victory has transformed into a protracted geopolitical nightmare. From the halls of the US Congress to the streets of American cities, and from European capitals, a resounding global consensus has emerged: nobody wants Washington’s war.  

Inside Washington, resistance to the conflict is boiling over as American casualties mount and the domestic economy spirals. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer fiercely condemned President Trump after the White House attempted to dismiss the  conflict as "small potatoes". In a post on X, Schumer wrote: "Tell that to the families of the 18 troops we have lost, the hundreds of wounded service members, and the Americans suffering every single day from record high prices." He added emphatically: "There’s nothing small about it."

Lawmakers are increasingly dismantling the administration's fabricated narratives. US Representative Ted Lieu explicitly questioned the White House’s insistence that Iran is a failed state, asking: "Then how does Iran keep launching drones and missiles at our bases and our allies?" Warning of a permanent quagmire, Representative Ro Khanna cautioned that the US risks getting pulled into "another endless war" if the conflict isn’t brought to an end before the midterm elections, noting that food and petrol prices are creating public pressure to act. Khanna said: "There are the political incentives to bring this war to an end. Food prices are high. Gas prices are high. The American people are demanding that the war end before they cast their votes in November." He revealed he is building an "unconventional coalition" – including outreach to former Republican Congressman Thomas Massie and others across the aisle – to push for a resolution. Appealing directly to Trump’s base, Khanna urged: "If you believe that we need to be for America First, if you voted for Trump on the promise of no new wars, then please, let us work together to bring a ceasefire to the war in Iran, to have diplomacy, negotiation, and prevent America from getting into another forever war in the Middle East."

Pentagon in panic

As American firepower falters, the US military establishment is turning on itself. The New York Times is reporting, citing government officials, that the Trump administration investigators have subjected roughly 50 members of the US military’s Joint Staff to polygraph tests over leaks to journalists, including about how the Iran war has created a shortage of crucial munitions. It was reported that the investigators asked military officers and civilian employees on the Joint Staff last month if they disclosed information about diminished US munitions stocks. In a statement to the newspaper, Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell said that the department "does not comment on internal personnel or investigative matters but takes all leaks of classified national security information extremely seriously and investigates accordingly".  

Widespread discontent and operational strain are also rapidly eroding morale across the US armed forces, highlighted by severe distress aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln following exhausting deployments in the region. This frontline exhaustion is mirrored at the highest levels in Washington, where the resignation of high-ranking military leadership—including Army Secretary Dan Driscoll and Navy Secretary John Phelan amid clashes over war readiness and command purges—underscores a deepening crisis within an increasingly fractured US military establishment.

Iran’s strategic dominance

Even American intelligence agencies have been forced to admit that a more confident Iran has emerged after six months of war. Intelligence reports in recent weeks indicate that Iran has grown more confident in its ability to attack American bases in West Asia and appears determined to continue the conflict for months to frustrate the United States. Current and former officials note that Iran has emerged with a far better understanding of its military strengths and is more sure of its capabilities, while exercising precise control over the vital Strait of Hormuz.  

Representative Jason Crow, a member of the Intelligence Committee, admitted: "Iranians are feeling pretty bullish about their position. They have taken substantial damage, but that has always been built into their system. They understand they can take damage, and they are playing a much longer game here." Crow noted that Iran’s formerly splintered leadership is now more united, internal opposition has been silenced, and it continues to have a stockpile of missiles and drones. 

Representative Josh Gottheimer, another member of the Intelligence Committee who initially supported the war, also said the administration lacks a clear strategy. 

Americans pay at pump

The American public is suffering the direct fallout of Washington’s warmongering. Petrol prices in the US are likely to top $4 per gallon as the war on Iran continues to raise energy costs, with data from GasBuddy predicting a cost of $4.03 on Labor Day—far higher than the previous record of $3.83 per gallon set in 2012. The national average petrol price hovered at about $4.13 per gallon on Thursday, up nearly a dollar from last year’s average, as analysts told Reuters the $4 mark is the "pain point" for US consumers. National polling demonstrates widespread public opposition to the conflict, as President Trump’s approval rating plummets to record lows ahead of the November midterms.

Europe rejects war

Washington stands utterly abandoned by its Western allies, with both NATO and European states refusing to join the military conflict. Meanwhile, the economic contagion has hit the United Kingdom hard. New UK Chancellor John Healey warned of a tough upcoming budget amid the economic fallout from the US-Israel war on Iran, telling the Financial Times: "What’s happening in the Middle East is hitting inflation, it’s hitting growth, it’s hitting borrowing costs. It’s part of a more dangerous world that is more uncertain, and it’s one of the challenges we have to meet in this country." British economists have called for more tax increases following sweeping hikes last year under Healey’s predecessor, Rachel Reeves, as Healey pledged that he and Prime Minister Andy Burnham would find "a buffer" against economic uncertainty.

Russia, China stand with Iran 

While the West fractures, global powers Russia and China have condemned US-Israeli aggression and reaffirmed their strategic alignment with Tehran. Russian President Vladimir Putin recently met with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and declared Moscow's full solidarity with the Iranian nation, stating that Russia is striving to provide all necessary assistance and essential goods during this difficult period while praising the courage of the Iranian people in defending their sovereign interests. President Pezeshkian reiterated that through multilateral platforms like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, Iran and its global partners will continue to counter Washington’s unilateralism and illegal sanctions. For now, the balance of power is clear: Iran stands resilient on its home soil, supported by key global allies, while an isolated White House faces economic collapse and deep popular rejection. Israel is also suffering from the strategic fallout of the war it waged jointly with the US against Iran.