US President Donald Trump announced an imminent peace deal with Iran on Saturday after weeks of conflict followed by a shaky ceasefire.
But with the hardline regime still in power in Tehran, America's missile stockpiles diminished and Iran still able to exercise leverage over the Strait of Hormuz, what did the war really achieve?
The conflict began when the US and Israel launched strikes on Iran over fears it was close to achieving a nuclear weapon, claims Iran denies. Mr Trump also was furious with Tehran after the regime killed thousands of protesters in January and had promised "help is on its way".
Since a ceasefire was announced in early April, Iran and the US have been in talks on a deal, with Washington pushing for restrictions on Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme, among other demands.
It was not immediately clear what was in the new deal but Mr Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would reopen.
But the waterway was already open before the US carried out strikes on Iran. Tehran closed it in response to being attacked, and then the US initiated its own blockade of Iranian ports near the waterway.
About a fifth of the world's energy supplies typically flow through the strait. The closure rocked global energy markets and sent prices skyrocketing, with some countries announcing price caps and rationing measures. In the US, petrol prices reached near record highs.
The closure also led to Mr Trump lashing out at Nato, further alienating allies after they declined to support US efforts to reopen the waterway.
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in the initial salvo of strikes, along with other top officials, but the regime never collapsed and his son has taken over as titular leader. Who is really in charge is unclear, as the US has claimed most of the leadership is dead and has encouraged Iranians to rise up against the regime.
According to the US, the conflict destroyed much of Iran's military might, with the Pentagon claiming 90 per cent of its navy as well as its weapons factories and defence industrial base had been eliminated.
This is a hard claim to back up, however, and some US media outlets have reported that Iran was beginning to rebuild at a faster rate than anticipated.
Meanwhile, the war has put a major dent in American defence stockpiles, with one analysis by the Centre for Strategic and International Studies saying the US may have used more than half of its prewar weapons stocks.
The Pentagon has touted new efforts to build up the defence industrial base - and has asked Congress for a whopping $1.5 trillion budget for the next fiscal year.
The US has also said that the strikes on Iran have severely restricted its ability to support its proxy groups throughout the Middle East.
Throughout the conflict, these proxy groups launched attacks on American interests throughout the region. In Lebanon, following the death of former supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Hezbollah launched strikes on Israel.
Israel responded with a punishing campaign in southern Lebanon that has killed more than 3,000 people. A US-brokered ceasefire was announced last month, but Israeli and Hezbollah strikes continue.
The Iran war has also illustrated that the US is unable - or unwilling - to rein in Israel, which also continues to violate the ceasefire in Gaza.
Back in the US, the war had become a major factor in a growing split in Mr Trump's base. Popular support for the war continues to decline, with a recent PBS/NPR/Marist poll showing that 22 per cent of Republicans disapprove, up from 15 per cent in March.
With petrol prices high as summer arrives and the midterm elections approach, Mr Trump is likely betting that the peace deal has come in time to save his party from major gains by the Democrats.
