DID Press: US President Donald Trump is privately discussing the possibility of declaring the war with Iran over, even as Washington maintains military forces in the Middle East and continues to exert economic pressure on Tehran, according to The Wall Street Journal.
The report said Trump has held private discussions with senior aides about ending the conflict politically. The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Trump had considered declaring victory if Iran fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz, while also privately exploring the possibility of ending the conflict without securing all of Washington’s broader objectives.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported, citing four people familiar with internal discussions, that senior Trump administration officials are seeking to prevent a major escalation of the conflict before the November 3 midterm elections, amid concerns about the political consequences of the unpopular war for Republican candidates.
According to Reuters, White House officials may consider increasing military action after the elections, although the sources stressed that a return to full-scale conflict is not certain. For now, the administration is focusing on economic pressure against Iran while attempting to prevent the war from dominating the political agenda ahead of the vote.
The reports highlight the difficult balance facing the Trump administration between maintaining pressure on Iran and limiting the domestic political and economic costs of a prolonged conflict. At the same time, recent exchanges of attacks between U.S. and Iranian forces underscore how quickly efforts to contain the war could be undermined.