United States President Donald Trump has reportedly told aides he is willing to end the military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, leaving efforts to reopen the vital waterway for a later stage. According to administration officials, reopening the strait would likely extend the conflict beyond his preferred four to six week timeline. Instead, Trump is said to be prioritizing strikes on Iran’s missile systems and naval forces while seeking diplomatic pressure to restore shipping through the route.

Iran has largely blocked the Strait of Hormuz in response to joint American and Israeli attacks, driving up global energy prices and pushing gasoline costs in the United States above four dollars per gallon for the first time in more than three years. Trump claimed there has been significant progress toward a deal to end the war, but warned that if the strait is not reopened, the United States could target Iran’s power plants, oil wells, and key infrastructure that have so far been spared.

Efforts to negotiate have been complicated by the killing of senior Iranian leaders, which has disrupted decision making in Tehran and empowered hardliners within the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Trump confirmed that Washington is engaging with Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has taken a combative public stance during the conflict. Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the war has achieved more than half of its objectives, including significant damage to Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities, while expressing confidence that Iran’s government could eventually collapse internally.