Trump Turns to Economic Pressure as Iran War Objectives Remain Unfulfilled/ TezzBuzz/ WASHINGTON/ J. Mansour/ Six months after President Donald Trump predicted a short war with Iran, the conflict continues without active negotiations or a clear path to resolution. The administration has shifted from intensive military strikes toward economic pressure as U.S. weapons stockpiles decline and reopening the Strait of Hormuz becomes a top priority. Washington reports major damage to Iran’s military capabilities, but questions remain about Tehran’s enriched uranium, missile forces, proxy groups and control over regional shipping.
Quick Look
- Trump initially predicted the Iran war would last four to five weeks.
- The conflict has now continued for six months with no negotiations underway.
- A June memorandum intended to provide a path toward ending the war has stalled.
- The administration has shifted from military strikes toward sanctions and economic pressure.
- Reopening the Strait of Hormuz is now a leading U.S. objective.
- The waterway carried about 20% of the world’s traded oil before the conflict.
- Iran’s approximately 970-pound enriched-uranium stockpile remains unresolved.
- Trump says Iran’s navy and air force are “totally gone.”
- Iran retains the ability to launch drones and threaten vessels in the strait.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio estimates Iran’s defense industry suffered 80% to 90% attrition.
- The administration has provided fewer updates about Iranian-backed proxy organizations.
- Hezbollah has rejected disarmament and direct negotiations.
Deep Look
Iran War Continues Without an Off-Ramp
Six months after President Donald Trump launched the war against Iran, the conflict remains unresolved despite his initial prediction that it would last four to five weeks.
Trump has repeatedly said the United States has won the war or is close to reaching an agreement. A June memorandum of understanding was intended to establish a path toward ending the conflict, but it has largely fallen by the wayside.
The administration is now emphasizing sanctions and other economic measures instead of launching another sustained round of military strikes. U.S. stockpiles of critical weapons have also declined during the conflict.
“No negotiations are happening right now, and this will continue until the president feels that maybe they come to the table in a meaningful way,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told “Fox and Friends” on Thursday.
US Objectives Evolve as Conflict Drags On
Some of the goals announced at the beginning of the war remain unfulfilled, while others have changed in importance.
The United States has reported tactical success in degrading Iran’s military forces, missile systems and defense manufacturing capacity. But the administration has not fully resolved Iran’s nuclear program, restored safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz or eliminated Tehran’s ability to support regional armed groups.
Reopening the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as a major objective even though the waterway was open when the war began.
Iran has used the strait as leverage over the global economy, turning it into one of the most consequential issues in negotiations over the conflict.
Strait of Hormuz Becomes Central Concern
The Strait of Hormuz was a vital international shipping route before the war, carrying about 20% of the world’s traded oil.
It has remained largely closed since fighting began, contributing to higher fuel and fertilizer prices. Those increases have generated economic and political pressure inside the United States.
Trump has said a potential agreement would require Iran to reopen the strait while the United States ends its blockade of Iranian ports.
At other times, Trump has suggested the international waterway could become American territory or that Washington could impose tolls on ships passing through it.
The president has also repeatedly claimed that the strait is already operating, including during a Wednesday interview with conservative commentator Glenn Beck.
“It’s a functioning strait. Yes, every once in a while, there’ll be a drone or a rocket or something shot, but it is a very functioning strait,” Trump said.
Commercial shipping, however, continues to face attacks and serious risks in the area.
Iran’s Enriched Uranium Remains Unresolved
Preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon was one of the administration’s principal reasons for launching the war.
In June 2025, Trump said the United States had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. When the new conflict began, administration officials nevertheless warned that Tehran had been only weeks away from developing a bomb.
One major unresolved issue is Iran’s stockpile of approximately 970 pounds, or 440 kilograms, of enriched uranium that could potentially be used in a nuclear weapon.
The material is believed to remain buried beneath three nuclear facilities bombed by the United States and Israel in 2025.
Trump said in a May social media post that the material would be recovered by the United States “in close coordination and conjunction with the Islamic Republic of Iran, plus the International Atomic Energy Agency, and DESTROYED.”
Iran has not indicated whether it would consent to such an operation. Experts have warned that attempting to seize the material without Tehran’s permission would be dangerous and could require a substantial deployment of American ground forces.
June Nuclear Commitments Have Stalled
U.S. officials said Iran reaffirmed in the June memorandum that it would not acquire or develop nuclear weapons.
The agreement also called for Tehran to dilute its stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Many details about Iran’s nuclear activities were left for future negotiations, however. It remains unclear whether the parties made meaningful progress before the diplomatic process stalled.
With no talks currently taking place, the uranium stockpile and the future monitoring of Iran’s nuclear program remain unresolved.
Iran Retains Some Missile Capabilities
Another major administration objective was to “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”
Trump said in late March that Iran’s missiles “are mostly decimated” and that the United States and Israel had destroyed 90% of Tehran’s missiles and launchers.
By mid-May, Trump offered a lower estimate, saying that 82% of Iran’s missiles had been eliminated.
Iran has continued demonstrating an ability to launch attacks, including drone strikes against vessels navigating the Strait of Hormuz.
As recently as July, U.S. Central Command reported striking “Iranian military command centers, air defense and coastal surveillance sites, maritime capabilities, missile and drone launch sites and communications networks.”
Those attacks indicated that significant Iranian military targets and capabilities remained months into the war.
US Claims Extensive Damage to Defense Industry
Destroying Iran’s defense industrial base was frequently presented as an independent objective during the early stages of the conflict, although administration officials have mentioned it less consistently over time.
U.S. Central Command has targeted Iranian weapons production facilities and plants involved in manufacturing missiles and drones.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in early June that Iran had suffered “massive destruction” of its defense industrial base.
He estimated the attrition at “80 to 90%” and said, “It will take years for them to rebuild it.”
The administration has not provided an independently verified comprehensive assessment of the remaining production capacity.
Trump Says Iran’s Navy and Air Force Are Gone
The United States and Israel quickly established air superiority over Iran and conducted flights with limited resistance.
Rubio told lawmakers that Iran retained some drone capabilities but could no longer launch the large swarms used at the beginning of the conflict.
He also said Iran no longer had a conventional navy and instead depended on small vessels armed with machine guns. Those boats have continued to harass commercial ships and sometimes deploy mines.
Trump offered a sweeping assessment Wednesday, saying Iran’s navy and air force are “totally gone.”
Despite those losses, Iran’s remaining maritime and drone capabilities continue to pose threats around the Strait of Hormuz.
Protecting Regional Allies Produces Mixed Results
Trump added the defense of American partners to his stated war objectives in March.
He described the goal as “Protecting, at the highest level, our Middle Eastern Allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, and others.”
The United States maintains thousands of troops at military bases and installations across the region. Trump has not clearly explained the extent of the long-term security commitment he is prepared to make.
In June, after the United States said Iran fired missiles at Kuwait and Bahrain, Washington responded with additional strikes against Iran.
Trump’s Threat Complicates Relationship With Oman
Oman has experienced a different side of the administration’s regional policy.
The country has been negotiating with Iran over a framework for managing shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has criticized elements of that emerging arrangement.
In August, the president threatened that the United States would bomb Oman if it “gets in the way,” using an expletive for emphasis.
The threat placed pressure on an American regional partner that has traditionally played an important diplomatic role between Washington and Tehran.
Progress Against Iranian Proxies Remains Unclear
The administration repeatedly said in March that weakening Iran’s network of regional proxies was a central war objective.
Trump described the goal as ensuring that “the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces.”
He also said the United States would prevent “the Iranian regime” from continuing “to arm, fund, and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.”
Administration officials have provided fewer updates about that objective as the war has continued.
Hezbollah Refuses to Disarm
The United States initially struck Iranian-aligned militia groups in Iraq, but much of the campaign involving Tehran’s proxies has centered on Israel’s war against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran has demanded an end to the fighting in Lebanon as part of any agreement with Washington.
Israel and Lebanon announced a U.S.-mediated arrangement under which Israeli forces would leave southern Lebanon in exchange for Hezbollah’s disarmament.
An administration official described that agreement as a “huge step,” speaking anonymously because the person was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.
Hezbollah has refused direct negotiations, however, and its leader has said the group will not surrender its weapons.
Economic Pressure Replaces Intensive Strikes
The administration’s evolving strategy reflects the difficulties of converting battlefield gains into a political settlement.
The United States says it has inflicted major damage on Iran’s armed forces, defense manufacturing and regional military capabilities. Yet Iran continues to control access to the Strait of Hormuz, retains dangerous weapons and has not agreed to fully resolve its nuclear program.
With weapons stockpiles diminished and no active negotiations underway, the Trump administration is now relying more heavily on sanctions and economic isolation.
The central unanswered question is whether that pressure can force Iran back to meaningful negotiations—or whether the conflict will continue without a clear conclusion.
More on US News