President Donald Trump speaks with reporters before boarding Air Force One, Friday, Aug. 21, 2026, at Joint Base Andrews, Md., en route to South Carolina. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Originally published by
Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — When President Donald Trump launched the war with Iran in late February, he initially forecast it would last four weeks to five weeks. Six months later, there still is no off-ramp in sight despite Trump's repeated assertions that the war has been won or a deal to resolve it was nearly complete. A June memorandum of understanding was designed to pave the way to end the war but has fallen by the wayside. U.S. stockpiles of key weapons have diminished and the Republican administration has pivoted to pressuring Iran economically rather than conducting more strikes. “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. As the shape of the war has morphed over the past half year, so, too, have the goals. One of the prime goals now — reopening the Strait of Hormuz — was not one of Trump's original objectives. The waterway, which had been a vital shipping lane through which about 20% of the world's oil passed, was open and free to all. Iran seized on it as a chokepoint for the global economy. The strait has been largely closed since the war started, driving up prices for fuel and fertilizer needed for farms and creating economic and political pressure in the U.S. The U.S. has had tactical success with its goals to degrade Iran's military capabilities. But some of the other key objectives Trump laid out at the start of the conflict remain unfulfilled and others have shifted. Here is a look at the objectives and what we know about where they stand:
