Trump: Iran war is ‘effectively over,’ but troops to remain in region

The president described the war as “ending quickly” while ruling out an immediate U.S. military withdrawal from the region.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump said Monday that the U.S.-Israel war against Iran has reached an end, changing his tone affter weeks of heightened tensions and increasingly forceful rhetoric from Washington, Tehran and Jerusalem.

“Iran militarily is effectively over,” Trump said during a press conference at the White House. “We’re just keeping it the status quo.”

The status quo Trump was referring to involves limited U.S. strikes on Iran’s Qeshm Island in recent days, targeting defense systems and technology used to threaten ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, rather than major military installations or critical infrastructure.

Trump defended his decision to maintain an American military presence in the region after a reporter asked why he would not declare victory and withdraw U.S. troops.

The president said that doing so would effectively abandon Washington’s longstanding Middle Eastern allies, who could be left vulnerable without continued American military support.

“We have some great allies there, and we have to make sure they’re not hurt, and they would be hurt,” Trump said, referring to the potential consequences of reducing the U.S. military presence in the region.

He added that Washington was seeking a lasting agreement with Tehran rather than a temporary resolution to the conflict.

“We want to make sure [there is] a long-term solution — not just a short-term. They’ll never have a nuclear weapon, but we have to make sure that’s a long-term,” Trump said.

The president reiterated that the conflict was nearing its conclusion, stressing that the war with Iran was “ending quickly.”

Trump concluded his remarks by reaffirming his commitment to preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons.

“I made the claim that they won’t have a nuclear weapon, and they won’t have a nuclear weapon,” he said.

The comments follow repeated assurances from Trump that the war would end shortly after the US midterm elections, which took place in early November.

His latest remarks contrast with the more aggressive rhetoric he used in recent weeks, when he warned that Iran would soon “get the hammer” if it continued delaying an agreement with Washington.

Iran warIsrael-Iran warUS-Iran War