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Posted on 08/09/2026 7:00:07 AM PDT by Mr. Mojo
US President Donald Trump has been weighing the possibility of declaring victory against Iran without achieving a nuclear deal, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday, citing US officials.
According to the officials, Trump privately floated the idea to his senior aides. If the US can keep Iran's nuclear program in check and traffic resumes in the Strait of Hormuz, then Trump would be more likely to extend the ceasefire "indefinitely," the officials told WSJ.
In recent weeks, the president told senior aides privately that Tehran is "likely unable to revive its nuclear work," after Operation Midnight Hammer caused heavy damage to Iran's nuclear infrastructure in June 2025, the officials added.
The US's intelligence capabilities would likely catch any Iranian attempts to rebuild these facilities or covertly build a nuclear bomb, Trump said in recent meetings, and the president is confident that any threat of more US attacks would "serve as an enduring deterrent," WSJ reported.
The officials also expect the president will lift the US's naval blockade on the Islamic Republic's ports if Tehran fully reopens the strait.
Trump is "patient and expected to ride out the latest diplomatic snarl, especially so long as gas prices remain where they are," WSJ cited officials as saying.
The US has "completed all of its military objectives against Iran," and the president's focus is "securing the flow of the world's energy through the Strait of Hormuz and will keep military options on the table should Iran further target ships," a White House official told WSJ.
"Iran’s recent hardline demands for reopening the strait make it increasingly difficult for the president to manufacture a face-saving off-ramp from the conflict," Director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Mona Yacoubian, said.
"The Iranians fully believe Trump wants out and is focused on opening the strait, which is why they are playing hardball," Gregory Brew, an Iran expert at the Eurasia Group consulting firm, added.
Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until US 'corrects behavior,' IRGC commander says
However, the Strait of Hormuz will not reopen until the United States "corrects its behavior," Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commander Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr announced on Friday in a message publicized by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).
Zolghadr laid out six conditions under which, by Iran's consideration, the US would be correcting its behavior.
According to Zolghadr, the US must end all aggression against Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, and Palestine; Never verbally threaten Iran; Lift its naval blockade and withdraw all naval and air forces; Pay for the damages of the wars against Iran; Lift all sanctions against Iran; And release all frozen Iranian assets.
Meanwhile, Trump spoke optimistically about the end of the war with Iran during the signing of an executive order in the White House on Thursday.
“I think it’s going to end pretty soon," he said, adding that "I don’t think they [Iran] can go much longer.”
Regarding the Strait of Hormuz and a rumored deal to reopen the waterway, Trump said that the strait is "sort of open right now."
"You know, we have a thing called the blockade, headed up by the US Navy, and we control it," he said. "But they can always shoot something."
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No nuclear deal, right after the big flash happens.
What... Declare victory again ???
How many last chances and victories can there be in one war?
“Nice idea, Don....but you know only too well
Iran will do anything to muck up YOUR plans.”
Trump needs to declare Victory and get the heck out. I know they will never give up trying for nuclear capability (especially after what this war has done to them), but Trump has set back their nuclear capabilities many years.
Trump claimed that Iran's nuclear program was in check last year, before this war.
And the Strait was open before this war.
IOW, this war would have accomplished nothing, other than costing the U.S. tens of billions, depleting much of our ordnance, destroying much of Iran, the Gulf States, and U.S. military bases, and killing dozens of our soldiers and thousands of Iranians.
No. The mullahs need to go.
Not a good look. He’d have to take out Kharg and the power plants/bridges first. Do it in October to get one step ahead of Iran’s October surprise. The people have 2+ months and if they won’t do what they need to do then they won’t be with us when the regime falls.
Are you kidding? The conflict prevented nuclear war since there's a near 100% chance it would've happened if Trump had done nothing, like Kamala Harris said she would do.
Since he isn’t going to win, might as well just declare victory.
“Mr. President, it’s 1979 on Line 2 saying Iran’s bill is still way past due.”
Trump: I have good news.
Iran: Really?
Trump: Yes. I’m willing to pull out, and not make a big deal out of your nuclear program, as long as you keep the Strait open.
Iran: Sounds good. We will keep the Strait open.
Trump: Really?
Iran: Totally.
Trump: You’re not just saying that?
Iran: We really mean it.
Trump: Okay. We have a deal.
[GUFFAW!!]
“The conflict prevented nuclear war”
Wild speculation on your part—how far FR has fallen...
Another post about what Trump *might* do... Lol
“Trump said that the strait is “sort of open right now.”
A sort of victory for the USA!
And a Sort of Iran War Victory Monument on the National Mall.
First, this is in the Jerusalem Post so it may be a planted story. I’d take it with a grain of salt. But if its true, I hope the adminstration has learned that Iran is never going to stop the war short of complete defeat for the US and Israel. Trump can cut whatever “deal” he wants and they are going to violate it, even if he gives them a nuclear bomb.
He may even commission a statue of himself atop a horse with a raised sword in one hand and “The Art of the Deal” in the other—all in gold, of course.
War cannot be won with half-hearted measures, guided, in part, by the price of oil.
They have shown time and time again that they are caveman savages, unable to behave in a civilized manner and are willing to turn their own country into a sheet of glass.
We already lost the war. Biden gave away all our munitions and it’s too hard to make more on any scale large enough to make any real difference in the short term. It’s not WW2 anymore where we can churn out 20,000 tanks and a million rifles and billions of bullets a year. We attacked Iran with limited munitions and missiles and now we look stupid in front of the world. Expect bad times ahead
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