According to CCTV International News on August 10, U.S. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said in an interview on August 9 that the United States has actually "lost the war against Iran," and emphasized that the U.S. urgently needs to end hostilities and restore navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. "The longer the conflict drags on, the weaker the U.S. becomes, and the stronger Iran grows," Murphy stated. He added that although the agreement the U.S. might reach at this stage is "extremely unfavorable" and represents a major victory for Iran, the U.S. must accept it to quickly extricate itself from the war.

Murphy is one of the most consistent and vocal critics of this war. Since the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran began on February 28, 2026, he has nearly continuously attended classified congressional briefings. From criticizing the war plan as "chaotic and incomplete" and the government as "without direction" in March, to directly labeling it a "surrender to Iran" by June, and now publicly declaring on August 9 that "the war has already been lost," his increasingly severe statements precisely mirror the war’s transformation—from initial hopes of quick victory to full-scale strategic failure.

The most ironic outcome of this war lies in the fact that when the U.S. launched the conflict, it listed a long list of objectives: destroying Iran’s nuclear facilities, regime change, eliminating proxy forces, and controlling the strait. In the end, all these were abandoned, leaving only one minimal demand: allowing oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. And Iran has exploited this single card to perfection:

Iran has split the issue into two parts: technical coordination with Oman, while reserving political conditions—such as withdrawal of troops, lifting sanctions, and unfreezing assets—for the U.S. alone. This effectively transforms geographic control into a permanent institutional toll system.

As Murphy put it: Iran has secured payment for strait passage, funding for military rearmament, and resources to support its proxies—"Iran has practically won this war." Murphy’s remarks are a concentrated reflection of the U.S.’s deepening strategic dilemma in its war against Iran. The core logic behind this position is "damage limitation first"—acknowledging that all war objectives have completely failed, and advocating acceptance of an "extremely unfavorable" agreement in order to quickly exit the conflict and prevent further national exhaustion.

Murphy’s statement carries significant weight not because he is a pacifist leftist, but because he is a key figure within the Democratic Party’s foreign policy establishment. His "admission of defeat" does not represent merely a personal judgment—it reflects a growing consensus within Washington’s political elite:

Airstrikes cannot destroy Iran’s nuclear materials; regime change is no longer on the agenda; blocking the strait is unmanageable—the three original war goals have all collapsed.

Through this war, Iran has proven one thing: control over the Strait of Hormuz is its true “nuclear option,” more effective than any nuclear weapon.

Time magazine bluntly stated: After this conflict, Iran has become even clearer about one truth—the control of the strait is its greatest strategic card.

In short, Murphy’s remarks essentially constitute a post-facto acknowledgment by the American political establishment of a failed war. It is not a sign of peace, but rather a diagnosis of strategic failure. When a senator from a superpower openly admits that "we have already lost," and that "we must accept an extremely unfavorable deal," it reveals a fundamental truth: problems that cannot be solved by force will ultimately return to the negotiating table—and on terms dictated by the opponent.

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1873142754089995/

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