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... Militarily, he has demonstrated the effect of U.S. power. In tandem with war partner Israel, the United States has taken out much of Iran's military infrastructure, as well as its political and military leadership.

But geopolitically, the U.S. appears in a weaker position than when the war began.

That's partly because the regime in Tehran, though battered by the U.S.-Israeli attacks, is still standing. It is still capable of firing missiles and drones. And it has proved ready to wield a potent form of leverage it had kept in reserve until the war: control over the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world's oil, gas, and fertilizer supplies pass.

But the war has also dealt a blow to an advantage the U.S. has long held over major rival powers: Its strong web of allies around the world. ...