Six months after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, a lot may have been destroyed but there is no end in sight to the conflict.
The Islamic Republic survived the assassination of its top leaders and weeks of heavy bombing, and found potent leverage in the Strait of Hormuz.
Its squeeze on global energy markets has seen brent crude around 22 per cent higher than its pre-war level after months of volatile trading.
As life continues in Iran despite economic hardship, the conflict has settled into a stalemate with mediated talks failing to produce a peace deal.
Gulf Arab nations have seen worrying gaps open up in the US security umbrella they have relied on for decades.
