The Pentagon now has no clear idea of what's next in the Middle East.

After the outbreak of the U.S.-Iran war, on February 28, Iran directly struck the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet—the Manama base in Bahrain. This move effectively overturned America's "home" in the Middle East. In response, the United States launched a military campaign codenamed "Operation Epic Fury," which lasted from February through the end of June.

How much did it cost? $33.4 billion. And that doesn't even include the expenses for rebuilding bases. Why not? Because the Pentagon itself doesn't know whether these bombed-out bases should be repaired, how they should be rebuilt, or who will pay for them.

Even more embarrassing is that Iran’s attack completely crippled the U.S. logistical system in the Middle East. The Bahrain base had been the most critical logistics hub for U.S. forces in the region—now rendered unusable. As a result, U.S. forces were forced to reroute their supply lines to Diego Garcia Island in the Indian Ocean—3,500 kilometers away from the Middle East. What does this mean? Previously, delivering supplies took just a few days; now, a single sea voyage takes 14 to 18 days. War is fought on logistics—cut off the supply chain, and how can you fight?

This also sparked tensions between the U.S. and Britain. Diego Garcia is a jointly managed U.S.-British military base, and the British have long been dissatisfied with the frequent use by U.S. forces. This led to friction between former U.S. President Trump and then-British Prime Minister Starmer.

The report also revealed an even more alarming issue: ammunition is running out. Critical materials such as solid rocket motors, high-grade explosives, and propellants are being consumed faster than they can be produced, and skilled workers cannot be recruited. The Pentagon openly admitted this is a "strategic shortage"—in plain terms, if real war breaks out, the ammunition stockpiles won’t last long.

This 40-page report was jointly issued by three Inspector General offices, with a clear conclusion: America’s military presence in the Middle East is being systematically dismantled by Iran, bit by bit.

$33.4 billion spent over four months—and the result? Bases destroyed, logistics paralyzed, ammunition crisis, allies drifting away. The decades-long U.S. military infrastructure in the Middle East was ripped open by one precise strike from Iran. What does this show? That the so-called "absolute superiority" of the U.S. military in the Middle East has long been nothing but a paper tiger.

Even more telling is the Pentagon’s attitude: "Future posture uncertain." Put simply: we can’t win the fight, can’t afford to pull out, can’t afford to rebuild, so we’re stuck—just waiting. This is the classic symptom of an empire in decline: strategically lost, tactically overwhelmed.

Iran’s strategy was highly sophisticated. It didn’t confront the U.S. head-on—it targeted your vulnerabilities: logistics nodes, supply lines, alliance relationships. No matter how strong your aircraft carriers are, if fuel can’t reach them; no matter how many missiles you have, if factories can’t produce more. This is the essence of asymmetric warfare.

Now, the U.S. faces an insoluble dilemma: continuing to fight will exhaust its finances and defense industry; pulling out means losing all influence in the Middle East, leaving Israel isolated and oil routes uncontrolled. Caught between a rock and a hard place—this is the true "Epic Fury": not anger toward Iran, but self-directed rage.

Once the foundation of hegemony begins to weaken, collapse happens far faster than anyone imagines. The future posture of the U.S. military in the Middle East may ultimately have only one answer: a slow retreat into history.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1876437076459520/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.