Trump says he’s ‘not in a hurry’ to end Iran war

Washington, August 28 — President Donald Trump arrives at a pivotal moment for his presidency as the U.S.-Israel war against Iran reaches the six-month mark, a milestone he repeatedly promised would end in weeks. The conflict persists despite his claim that bombs and blockade have already devastated Iran’s leadership, military and economy. This week his administration announced it will shift focus to economic pressure, threatening any nation or entity that does business with Tehran. The strategy comes as depleted munitions stocks raise concerns about U.S. readiness elsewhere. Trump’s talk of a quick end to the war appears to be fading. He stressed this week that he is “not in a hurry” to return Iran to the negotiating table and continues to argue that the Islamic Republic’s leadership is on the ropes. “They’re not paying their troops. They’re in deep trouble. They have very little capacity,” he told reporters Thursday. “We don’t want to speak to them. We’re not looking to meet or anything.” The six-month anniversary coincides with a war that has cost the United States more than 37.5 billion dollars and eroded his party’s standing ahead of November elections. Trump will spend Friday in Houston, where he will honor the Artemis II NASA crew for their 10-day mission around the moon earlier this year. The moment is complicated for an “America First” leader who once condemned predecessors for endless Middle East wars and vowed to keep troops out of such conflicts. He bristled at comparisons to Iraq and Afghanistan, where more than 7,000 Americans died, insisting no U.S. troops have deployed into Iran. On social media he shared a post declaring “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 2026,” an AI-generated image showing him beside fighter jets, a warship and flags, alongside former President George W. Bush and the late Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, killed in an Israeli strike. Trump insists the campaign has crippled Iran’s navy and air force, citing $270 billion in damage Iranian officials report. He claims the Strait of Hormuz is open, noting 24 vessels passed through a day earlier — a fraction of the roughly 130 that traversed it before the war. Qatar’s prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, was in Tehran on Thursday to discuss a plan with Oman to boost traffic through the strait, but Washington shows little interest in reviving the June diplomatic deal that aimed to reopen the waterway and restart nuclear talks. Trump maintains the U.S. naval blockade prevents Iranian oil from reaching market, saying “We have control and we have the blockade. Iran is not getting anything. Nothing is going through.” Geopolitical risk analyst Aarathi Krishnan of RAKSHA Intelligence Future notes that sanctions and strikes have battered Iran, but the regime has adapted over decades and continues selling discounted oil through opaque networks. Richard Goldberg, a former National Security Council adviser on Iran, argues Iran now stands in “uncharted waters” as Washington turns to new pressure tactics. The next watchpoint is whether Trump will address the anniversary publicly and how allies respond to the deepening economic chokehold.