Iran war, said to be over "very soon," nears 6 months

The Iran war — defined by fits and starts and strain on America's military — will hit the half-year mark next week with both Washington and Tehran betting they can outlast one another.

Why it matters: President Trump has repeatedly promised the fight would be quick, decisive and over "very soon."

The big picture: The war's length is pushing once-niche national-security issues — munitions levels, defense contracting, at-sea replenishment — into everyday conversation.

• The Navy is the topic du jour, as prolonged deployments stress-test ships, sailors, Marines and their families.

Zoom in: Trump said this week he wanted to claim the Strait of Hormuz and posted a map on Truth Social labeling it a "U.S. territory."

• He also threatened to "bomb the shit" out of Oman, a country that has committed billions of dollars to buying U.S. weapons.
• Days earlier, word spread that an American aircraft carrier in the Pacific, the USS George Washington, was being sent to the Middle East to relieve the USS Abraham Lincoln.
• That carrier's time at sea — more than 250 days — came under scrutiny as reports emerged that several distressed service members tried jumping overboard.

Friction point: The Pentagon hasn't held a press briefing in months. It has also faced criticism for obscuring troop deaths in an online tracker.

More from Axios:

• Iran war drives multi-year missile defense gap
• Trump to Axios: "We are low-keying it" with Iran
• Trump's Iran envoys quietly convene nuclear experts in Tennessee