Wall Street: Trump Considers Announcing End of War with Iran

The Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday that U.S. President Donald Trump is considering announcing an end to the war with Iran, betting on intense economic pressure against Tehran. The newspaper cited senior U.S. officials as saying that Trump had discussed with his top advisers the possibility of declaring an end to the war with Iran. The officials said Trump supports this move, believing that sustained, heavy economic pressure would force Tehran to abandon its nuclear program or lead to its collapse.

The newspaper noted that, despite these behind-closed-doors discussions, the U.S. Department of Defense (the Pentagon) has extended the deployment of its military forces in the region, suggesting the war could continue into next year. Conversely, the paper pointed out that U.S. military preparations are moving in a different direction: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has decided to extend the deployment of U.S. forces in the Middle East through 2027, indicating the possibility of a prolonged conflict with Iran.

It reported that “when the U.S. launched its campaign against Iran six months ago, Hegseth promised a swift and decisive strike that would spare the country from a protracted conflict. Yet he is now quietly extending deployment periods, signaling that the conflict may extend beyond the start of next year.”

Sources explained that “this step is part of an open-ended military strategy designed to give President Donald Trump options in the war. However, deploying 19 warships, air defense units, squadrons of fighter aircraft, and paratrooper forces across the region places heavy burdens on military personnel and their families, and leads to a buildup of maintenance backlogs that could take years to resolve.”