The Iran war is being called a strategic disaster for the US, weakening America's alliances and exposing how thin its military really is.

• US munitions and missile interceptors have been drawn down, and the world now sees the limits of American firepower.
• Iran has come out stronger, closer to being the dominant power in the Persian Gulf and around the Strait of Hormuz.
• The failure to beat Iran undercuts the threat to defend Taiwan from China or NATO from Russia, and signals from the Trump administration hint Taiwan may be left on its own.
• The Pentagon has failed every audit while costing taxpayers over a trillion dollars, yet the US has fallen behind on drones and missiles.
• Momentum is building on the right for pulling troops back — closing half the overseas bases, cutting US forces in Europe, and leaving the Middle East entirely.

Outlook: Expect louder pressure to shrink America's global military footprint, and less confidence abroad that the US would fight for its allies.