President Donald Trump has for weeks been laying the groundwork to declare victory in the war against Iran if the Islamic Republic fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz, and has privately raised the idea of walking away without a nuclear deal, according to US officials cited by the Wall Street Journal.
The Wall Street Journal reports that President Donald Trump has been laying the groundwork for weeks to declare victory in the war against Iran, contingent on the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, and has privately told senior aides he is willing to withdraw from the confrontation even without a final nuclear deal, according to US officials cited by the Journal.
This report adds new detail to a thread that began unfolding Sunday afternoon. At 14:12 Jerusalem, The Zioneer published the initial WSJ report, followed within minutes by corroborating reports from Israeli outlets ynet and N12, and later by The Jerusalem Post, all citing unnamed officials describing Trump's willingness to end the war without a nuclear deal. At 14:13, The Zioneer's Eye on Zion highlighted the strategic rift between Jerusalem and Washington, noting Prime Minister Netanyahu's insistence that Israel will act alone if necessary. At 15:00, US officials told Israeli journalist Tomer Almogor that Trump is likely to extend the current ceasefire with Iran indefinitely if the Strait of Hormuz resumes normal movement. At 15:09, The Zioneer reported that Trump had privately floated the idea to senior aides.
As The Zioneer reported on Aug 2, Trump announced a framework for a deal that included the immediate opening of the Strait of Hormuz, though Iran denied any agreement. On Jun 26, Trump declared "complete victory" over the Islamic Republic. On Jun 15, he stated the strait would be fully open by Friday. The current WSJ report suggests Trump's endgame prioritizes reopening the Strait of Hormuz—a critical global energy artery—over a comprehensive nuclear agreement with Tehran.
The Iranian nuclear program remains unresolved, and the IRGC has not relinquished control of the strait. The gap between the US administration's apparent readiness to declare victory and Israel's stated security demands leaves the question of Iran's nuclear ambitions open.
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