Bloomberg: US-Iran war with no decisive victory.. strategic stalemate threatens Strait of Hormuz

US-Iran war: Strategic stalemate and mutual attrition, with no decisive victory or near-term settlement

Bloomberg reported that the United States and Iran have entered a protracted war, with neither side able to achieve a decisive victory and no clear path to ending the conflict, suggesting the confrontation will continue in intermittent cycles of fighting and fragile truces.

According to the agency’s assessment, there are no strong indications that the war will end anytime soon, while negotiations, even if resumed, appear insufficient to permanently address the fundamental differences between Washington and Tehran, leaving the possibility of renewed military operations alive.

Bloomberg sees the most likely scenario as continued fighting at a relatively low intensity, punctuated by temporary periods of calm before a return to strikes, as neither side has yet developed a clear means to impose a settlement on its terms.

Strait of Hormuz as a key pressure card

The Strait of Hormuz emerges as one of the most sensitive files in the confrontation, with the possibility of repeated navigation disruptions or closure of the strait, adding a strategic and economic dimension to the conflict.

These developments come after US President Donald Trump announced that the United States controls the Strait of Hormuz and pledged to maintain this status, while Iran asserts a different position regarding its management of the vital waterway.

The Strait of Hormuz is a key route for global oil and gas shipments, making any prolonged disruption to navigation through it have direct repercussions on energy markets and the global economy.

Depletion of US military capabilities

According to data related to the war, which broke out on February 28, 2026, both sides have suffered significant human and material losses, while the United States has faced increasing pressure on its weapons stockpiles, particularly air defense missiles, as military operations continue.

These pressures come amid criticism of the Trump administration over the continuation of the war without achieving a clear resolution to the goals Washington announced, which may limit the margin of military options available to it the longer the confrontation continues.

In contrast, Iran maintains its ability to threaten navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, using the strait as leverage against US military and economic pressure, making the future of navigation one of the key files linked to any potential settlement.

In a new significant escalation, US President Donald Trump said on Friday that he intends to soon declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory, while also hinting at major economic escalation against Iran, adding: “After we finish defeating Iran, which is suffering a severe defeat, very soon I will declare the Strait of Hormuz as US territory.”

In response, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi responded to the US president, indicating that Tehran will not yield to US threats. Gharibabadi stressed that the decision to open or close the strait will remain in the hands of Iranian leadership.

Gharibabadi said that “seizing the Strait of Hormuz cannot be done with a tweet, nor an aircraft carrier, nor a decree, nor election speeches,” stressing that Iran “does not fear threats nor is intimidated by shows of force.”

Trump: After we finish defeating Iran, I will be declaring the Hormuz Strait a territory of the United States. pic.twitter.com/8cu9gem82b

— Acyn (@Acyn) August 14, 2026

Open war with multiple possibilities

Thus, the confrontation places Washington and Tehran before a complex equation: no quick military resolution, and no clear political settlement, while the Strait of Hormuz remains a pressure point capable of expanding the war’s repercussions to energy markets and the global economy.

As this equation continues, temporary truces appear closer to periods of de-escalation than to a clear path to ending the war, according to Bloomberg’s assessment, keeping the region at risk of renewed confrontation and expanded consequences.

Source: Bloomberg

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