The United States and Israel launched the war against Iran six months ago, killing Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran and striking nuclear and military sites across Iran. Iran responded with attacks on U.S. military assets and infrastructure in Gulf countries, while Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel, triggering near-daily Israeli responses and, at one point, an occupation of nearly one-fifth of Lebanon. The conflict has since settled into a stalemate that months of negotiations have not broken. At least 7,900 people have been killed: 4,350 in Lebanon, 3,527 in Iran and 28 in Gulf states, alongside 60 Israelis and 18 U.S. service members killed in Iranian attacks. The Pentagon says 757 U.S. personnel were wounded. ACLED recorded at least 3,580 U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and 2,053 Iranian attacks across the Gulf and wider Middle East. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz (a vital global oil shipping route) has averaged seven vessels a day, compared with at least 100 before the war, while the International Maritime Organization recorded 70 confirmed ship-related incidents and 19 seafarer deaths as of August 26. U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the war had cost $37.5 billion, though internal Pentagon estimates reported by U.S. media put the figure at $80 billion to $100 billion. Brent crude was 22% above its pre-war level at $88.58 a barrel on August 28, while the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve fell to 290 million barrels, its lowest level since November 1982. Israeli forces continue to occupy parts of Lebanon despite ceasefire agreements. President Trump's approval rating fell to 33%, and 80% of Americans said U.S. involvement in Iran would continue for an extended period.