TEHRAN - The New York Times has acknowledged that Washington failed to achieve its objectives through either military action or diplomacy in the aftermath of the joint US–Israeli war against Iran, which began nearly four months ago.

The United States and Israel launched the war on February 28 with the stated aim of crippling Iran’s military capabilities and reshaping the country’s political landscape in their favor. However, President Donald Trump ultimately agreed to a ceasefire on April 8 without securing those objectives.

Last week, Trump also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Iran that does not address Tehran’s missile program or its regional influence. Notably, Trump referred to the agreement as being with the “Islamic Republic of Iran,” a formulation that underscores the failure of efforts aimed at regime change.

Citing analysts, the NY Times said in a report published on Sunday that “neither the war nor the agreement” has eliminated what Washington and Tel Aviv describe as Iran’s threats.

Caitlin Talmadge, a professor at MIT who specializes in Persian Gulf security issues, told the American newspaper that the US acceptance of the MoU reflects a miscalculation of American leverage. “I think it’s a document that has resulted from the fact that the United States bit off more than it could chew and doesn’t want to escalate,” she said.

The report added that Iranian retaliatory attacks on US military bases in Persian Gulf countries caused significant damage and undermined perceptions of their invulnerability.

Trump has since lashed out at The New York Times report, calling it “treasonous” and saying it would be added to his lawsuit against the paper.

Separately, CNN and other US media outlets have reported that Trump’s claim of destroying Iran’s military capabilities does not hold up. Citing intelligence assessments, they said a large portion of Iran’s missile launchers remains intact despite US-Israeli strikes during the 39-day war.

Earlier this month, Israel Hayom reported that Iran has emerged stronger from the war, while Israel has become weaker, describing Iran as the strategic winner of the conflict.