WASHINGTON (Dispatches) -- The Los Angeles Times on Monday described the U.S. war on Iran as exposing “the limits of the U.S. military,” stating that the Trump administration has failed strategically, with U.S. forces left vulnerable, critical weapons depleted and control of vital waters still out of reach. 
Reuters, meanwhile, reported Monday that the stalled peace process has pushed Iran toward a “fully offensive” military posture, as the 60-day diplomatic framework collapses and the Strait of Hormuz remains unresolved.
The Los Angeles Times analysis, published under the headline “The Iran war has exposed the limits of the U.S. military,” makes the distinction explicit.  It describes the American tactical record as containing “catastrophic failures,” while declaring that the operational record is worse. The campaign, according to the article, has left U.S. forces vulnerable, consumed critical weapons faster than they can be replaced and failed to establish control of strategically important waters. The newspaper argues that Iran has demonstrated the limitations of translating overwhelming American technological superiority into a
 decisive result. That assessment is echoed in different terms by the Financial Times. Its analysis, “Will failure in Iran reshape how the U.S. fights?”, examines the implications of the aggression for the American model of warfare. 
The FT’s analysis places the military campaign in a wider strategic context. It reports that Iran’s government remains in power, regional hostilities continue and shipping routes remain volatile. 
The war has also imposed substantial costs on the United States, including $37.5 billion in operational expenses and another $67 billion estimated for rebuilding weapons stocks. The newspaper reports that 18 U.S. service members have been killed and more than 600 wounded.
The Monday Reuters report provides a different but complementary measure of the situation. Under the headline “Iran threatens to go on offensive in Strait of Hormuz if diplomacy with U.S. fails,” Reuters reported that Iran has announced a shift from a defensive to a “fully offensive” military stance amid the stalled peace process.
Reuters said the development followed the collapse of the June memorandum of understanding intended to de-escalate the war. A central disagreement remains control and management of the Strait of Hormuz, with Tehran and Washington holding incompatible positions over how the waterway should operate.
The report also noted that the war began on February 28 with U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and has since killed thousands and destabilized countries across the region. Oil markets have reacted sharply to fears of disruption to Persian Gulf shipping, while Yemeni forces have escalated attacks in the Red Sea.
The diplomatic failure has become another major theme in Monday’s Western coverage.
The 60-day framework has expired without producing the settlement that Washington and its mediators had sought. Reuters reported that the peace process remains stalled and that Iran is threatening escalation if diplomacy fails.
The Associated Press has likewise reported on the Trump administration’s return to economic pressure after other approaches to ending the war failed to produce a settlement. 
The report also noted depleted U.S. weapons stocks and stalled diplomatic efforts. The report portrays an administration moving from one instrument of pressure to another as the war continues.
Trump’s sanctions strategy has been presented by his administration as another means of forcing Tehran to make concessions. But AP noted that decades of previous sanctions have failed to produce the kind of rapid political results Washington is seeking, while critics have questioned whether the administration has articulated consistent strategic objectives.
The strain is also visible in the regional diplomatic picture.
The Financial Times reported Monday that the war has produced a major “realignment of the Middle East.” Its analysis said the war, which began after Trump’s unilateral decision to attack Iran, has lasted nearly six months despite expectations that it would be brief. The war has strengthened Iran’s position around strategic areas including the Strait of Hormuz while maintaining the threat posed by regional forces aligned with Tehran.
The FT said Persian Gulf states are reassessing their dependence on the United States for security. Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have formed a mutual defense pact, while other regional governments have begun reconsidering their traditional relationships with Washington and Israel. 
The newspaper described the changes as evidence of shifting regional calculations and growing skepticism about American reliability.
That represents another dimension of the Western media assessment: the consequences of the war are extending beyond the battlefield. The war has altered regional alliances, disrupted energy markets and generated new calculations about the reliability of U.S. security guarantees.
The Guardian has focused more directly on the political consequences for Trump. In a Monday analysis titled “Trump’s tough-guy image has been undone by his own actions,” the newspaper examined how the war has affected the president’s reputation for strength and control. The article linked Trump’s political image to a conflict that has continued far beyond the short campaign initially anticipated.
The Guardian’s live coverage on Monday also reported Trump’s threat to bomb Oman if it “gets in the way” of an agreement over the Strait of Hormuz. Trump simultaneously said Iran should surrender.
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Muhammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the United States and Israel have “failed to achieve” their war objectives. Ghalibaf described the outcome as “the greatest absolute defeat” and said, “I say with all my heart that we have truly won this war.”