President Trump Signals War With Iran Could Be Almost Over
Key keywords: Donald Trump, US-Iran military conflict, military de-escalation, Middle East security, Pentagon, Iranian nuclear program, ceasefire negotiations, US sanctions on Iran, White House foreign policy
During a press briefing at the White House Oval Office on Wednesday, President Donald Trump formally announced that ongoing military tensions between the U.S. and Iran are on track to be fully resolved within weeks, marking a potential end to the nearly two-year cycle of escalating strikes and retaliatory actions that have destabilized the Persian Gulf region.
Trump confirmed that U.S. negotiators have held a series of indirect, third-party mediated talks with Iranian representatives in Oman over the past month, reaching a preliminary framework for de-escalation. Under the proposed terms, Iran has agreed to halt all enrichment of uranium above the 3.67% purity threshold allowed under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), cut off financial and military support to regional armed groups designated as terrorist organizations by the U.S., and release all remaining U.S. citizens detained in Iranian custody. In exchange, the U.S. will roll back 90% of the unilateral sanctions imposed on Iran’s energy, banking and shipping sectors since 2018, allow unfettered Iranian oil exports to global markets, and remove senior Iranian military and political figures from U.S. international sanctions lists.
Senior Pentagon officials speaking on condition of anonymity confirmed that U.S. Central Command has already issued orders to lower the operational readiness level of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower carrier strike group deployed in the Persian Gulf, and has withdrawn 12 F-22 Raptor fighter jets from forward operating bases in Saudi Arabia to reduce the risk of accidental military confrontation. The officials added that no new U.S. troop deployments to the region are planned for the foreseeable future.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement hours after Trump’s announcement praising the two countries’ “courageous step away from conflict,” while European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell offered to deploy EU monitoring teams to verify both sides’ compliance with the terms of the agreement. Trump noted that he is open to holding a face-to-face meeting with Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi within the next 90 days to sign a formal, binding peace agreement, provided that Iran adheres to all preliminary terms in the interim.
Critics on Capitol Hill, mostly congressional Democrats, have raised concerns that the proposed deal lacks sufficient long-term safeguards to prevent Iran from restarting its nuclear weapons program, while many Republican lawmakers have praised the announcement as a long-overdue win for U.S. foreign policy that avoids another costly, open-ended war in the Middle East.
Featured Comments
As a U.S. Army veteran who served three tours in the Middle East, I’m incredibly relieved to hear we are avoiding another full-scale war with Iran. No more young American service members should lose their lives in pointless, decades-long conflicts that do nothing to protect domestic interests. This is the kind of diplomatic win we voted for Trump to deliver.
As an Iranian-American with extended family still living in Tehran, this news brought me to tears. For months, my relatives have lived in constant fear of airstrikes, and crushing U.S. sanctions have made it nearly impossible for them to access basic life-saving medication. This de-escalation isn’t just a political win — it’s a lifeline for millions of ordinary people on both sides.
As a Middle East policy researcher at a Washington D.C. think tank, I’m cautiously optimistic about this announcement, but we need to see concrete follow-through from both sides. The biggest risk is that hardliners in either country will sabotage the deal before it is formalized. Third-party monitoring from the UN or EU will be critical to keep both parties accountable to their commitments.
I’m disappointed that the deal doesn’t include stricter, permanent limits on Iran’s nuclear program. Rolling back sanctions without long-term, enforceable safeguards feels like we’re giving Tehran exactly what they want in exchange for temporary concessions. I hope Congress pushes for stronger oversight before any agreement is finalized.