Trump Says He Is ‘Not in a Hurry’ as Iran War Reaches Six Months/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ The U.S.-Israel war against Iran reached six months despite President Donald Trump’s early predictions that it would last only weeks. Washington is shifting toward sanctions and economic isolation as depleted munitions raise concerns about U.S. military readiness elsewhere. Trump claims Iran has been devastated but shows little interest in diplomacy, while Tehran retains leverage in the Strait of Hormuz.
Quick Look
- The Iran war began six months ago after Trump predicted a brief conflict.
- The war has cost the United States more than $37.5 billion.
- Trump now says he is “not in a hurry” to restart negotiations.
- The administration is shifting its emphasis from military strikes to economic pressure.
- Reduced U.S. weapons stockpiles are raising readiness concerns.
- Only 24 vessels recently crossed the Strait of Hormuz, compared with about 130 daily before the war.
- Qatar and Pakistan continue seeking a diplomatic settlement.
- Trump says the U.S. blockade is preventing Iran from selling oil.
- Treasury launched an initiative called “Operation Economic Outcast.”
- The U.S. is moving against Banque Misr over alleged financial support for Tehran.
- China has rejected Washington’s threatened secondary sanctions.
Deep Look
Iran war reaches six-month milestone
The U.S.-Israel war against Iran reached its six-month markpresenting President Donald Trump with a conflict that has lasted far longer than he initially promised.
At the war’s outset, Trump described the operation as a “little excursion” that would end within weeks. The fighting continues, although the president argues that U.S. and Israeli strikes, combined with a naval blockade, have already devastated Iran’s leadership, armed forces and economy.
Trump’s rhetoric about reaching a quick settlement has faded. This week, he said he was “not in a hurry” to bring Iran back to the negotiating table.
“They’re not paying their troops. They’re in deep trouble. They have very little capacity,” Trump told reporters Thursday. “We don’t want to speak to them. We’re not looking to meet or anything.”
Administration shifts toward economic warfare
The administration is increasingly relying on economic pressure rather than additional military strikes to force Tehran into concessions.
Its strategy centers on threatening punishment against countriesbanks and companies that continue conducting business with Iran. The White House argues that isolating Tehran from international trade and access to foreign currency can weaken the government and help conclude the conflict.
The change comes as the administration considers the toll that six months of fighting has taken on American munitions stockpiles.
The depletion of key weapons has raised concerns that the prolonged war could reduce U.S. military preparedness in Europe and other regions.
War brings financial and political costs
The conflict has already cost the United States more than $37.5 billion and has damaged Trump’s approval ratings ahead of November’s midterm elections.
The prolonged campaign also complicates Trump’s “America First” political identity. He criticized previous presidents for spending American money and sacrificing troops in lengthy Middle Eastern wars and campaigned on keeping the country out of “endless wars.”
Trump rejects comparisons with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistannoting that American ground troops have not entered Iran. More than 7,000 Americans were killed during the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Trump spent Friday in Houston honoring the Artemis II astronauts following their 10-day journey around the moon earlier this year. It was unclear whether he planned to formally address the Iran war’s six-month anniversary.
Trump invokes ‘mission accomplished’
The president continued to claim success even as the conflict remained unresolved.
Trump shared an artificial intelligence-generated image on social media this week declaring “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 2026.” It portrayed him against a background of American fighter aircraft, a warship and U.S. flags, with smaller images of former President George W. Bush and former Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Khamenei was killed in an Israeli strike during the war’s opening attacks.
The phrase recalls Bush’s 2003 appearance aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln beneath a “Mission Accomplished” banner. That event came to symbolize a premature declaration of victory because the Iraq War continued for nearly nine more years.
U.S. forces remain stationed in Iraq more than two decades later.
Iran’s military and leadership suffer heavy losses
Trump has repeatedly emphasized the damage inflicted on Iran’s navy and air force.
Israeli strikes during the opening weeks also eliminated significant portions of Iran’s political and military leadership. Iranian officials estimate that the country has suffered $270 billion in direct and indirect damage.
Iran, however, has maintained leverage through attacks around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important maritime energy routes.
Trump declared Thursday that the strait was open because 24 vessels had crossed the previous day. Before the war, approximately 130 ships passed through the waterway each day.
Relatively few vessels carrying oil and liquefied natural gas are now willing to risk the passage.
Qatar and Pakistan pursue diplomatic off-ramp
Qatar and Pakistan continue trying to mediate between Washington and Tehran.
Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani visited Tehran on Thursday to discuss an Iran-Oman proposal intended to increase shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump, however, has expressed little interest in reviving the preliminary agreement reached in June. That understanding was intended to reopen the strait and begin negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
The agreement collapsed within weeks after Iran resumed attacking ships.
Trump says blockade is choking Iranian economy
Trump maintains that the U.S. naval blockade is preventing Iran from selling oil while allowing a limited number of vessels carrying energy from other Persian Gulf countries to pass.
“We have control and we have the blockade,” Trump said. “Iran is not getting anything. Nothing is going through.”
The president argues that Iran’s government is losing its capacity to function and that additional negotiations are unnecessary for now.
Analyst warns Iran has adapted to sanctions
Iran has unquestionably been weakened by military strikes and decades of international sanctions, according to Aarathi Krishnan, a geopolitical risk analyst at RAKSHA Intelligence Future.
Iran’s economy was already struggling with accelerating inflation before the war. National income per person declined from approximately $8,000 in 2012 to $5,000 in 2024, according to World Bank figures.
Krishnan cautioned that Washington may be underestimating Tehran’s ability to withstand further pressure. Iran has spent decades adapting to sanctions by selling discounted oil and establishing opaque financial and shipping networks.
“This administration has completely underestimated the Iranian resolve,” Krishnan said. “This is not new to the Iranian regime.”
Hawkish analyst urges comprehensive embargo
Richard Goldberg, who advised the National Security Council on Iran during Trump’s first term, said Iran could enter “uncharted waters” if Washington fully enforces sanctions against its remaining trade partners.
“What we should be seeing is an attempt to seal off every escape hatch the regime has left,” said Goldberg, who now works at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. “Use the economic power of the United States to layer a naval blockade with an air and land embargo while dropping the hammer on anyone who gives the regime access to hard currency — whether that’s in the Middle East, China or even Europe.”
It remains uncertain whether the administration is prepared to impose such extensive penalties, particularly when they could produce economic consequences for the United States and its allies.
Treasury launches ‘Operation Economic Outcast’
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced an economic campaign called “Operation Economic Outcast.”
The administration has warned countries to end trade with Iran but has not yet publicly imposed broad secondary sanctions. Bessent said governments and businesses were being given time to move away from Iran before stricter measures begin.
He also acknowledged that the campaign carries economic risks for the United States.
On Friday, the Treasury Department took steps that could eventually remove Banque Misr, Egypt’s second-largest bank, from the U.S. financial system. Washington accused the bank of providing an economic lifeline to Iran’s leadership.
The Treasury Department on Friday moved to the United Arab Emirates branch of an Egyptian bank over its financial ties to Iran.
Treasury intends to revoke the access of Banque Misr UAE to U.S. financial institutions, the department said in a statement.
Banque Misr UAE processed about $1.8 billion over the past two years for some 100 companies that are potentially part of Iran’s shadow banking network, according to Treasury.
China emerges as central challenge
China is Iran’s largest trading partner and biggest buyer of its oil, making Beijing essential to the success or failure of Washington’s economic campaign.
China responded to American threats by opposing what it described as “illegal unilateral sanctions.”
When asked Thursday why his administration had not already sanctioned Chinese banks, Trump suggested that undisclosed action might be underway.
“Who said I’m not? You don’t know if I’m doing it,” Trump said. “I don’t have to announce everything, do I?”
More on US News