Iran's Strategy to Outlast the U.S. and Israel Is Already Disrupting the Global Economy

Eleven days into the war, Iran's Revolutionary Guards remain firmly in control, directing battlefield strategy and appointing Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader after Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the opening U.S.-Israeli strikes. Iranian planners, who anticipated this confrontation long before it began, are executing a deliberate strategy: launch drones and missiles, cut vital energy routes, and drive up global costs until Washington backs down. U.S. officials say a large share of Iran's arsenal has been destroyed, but regional sources estimate Tehran may still hold more than half its pre-war stockpile, potentially sustaining missile launches for several more weeks. The economic consequences are already visible, with oil prices spiking and gas costs rising. Trump has said the war continues until Iran is "totally and decisively defeated," while Tehran views survival alone as victory.