Iranian leaders face a daunting postwar reconstruction challenge after the U.S. and Israel hit over 17,000 targets, including factories, infrastructure, and government buildings, causing an estimated $270 billion in damage.
The scale of the destruction is worse than the Iran-Iraq war, with the U.S. and Israel dropping over 20,000 munitions, many in urban areas, causing lasting damage to facilities producing materials needed for repair.
The economic crisis, already severe, has sparked mass protests, and Iran's control of the Strait of Hormuz and ability to hit targets across the Gulf have given it leverage in talks with the U.S.
Analysts warn that without sanctions relief, regime survival will face sustained structural and popular pressure, with up to a million jobs at risk from furloughs or layoffs.
The U.S. blockade of Iranian ports will further strain the country's budget, with estimates suggesting it will cost Iran approximately $435 million a day.
