Trump may declare end of Iran war while extending deployment of 50,000 U.S. troops into 2027 — report

President Trump reportedly weighing declaring Iran war officially over, even as the Pentagon prepares for the conflict to continue into 2027.

By World Israel News Staff

President Donald Trump is considering declaring the war with Iran over and shifting the US campaign toward sustained economic pressure, even as the Pentagon prepares to keep tens of thousands of American troops and a major naval force in the Middle East well into next year, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday morning.

Trump has discussed the possibility with senior advisers and is leaning toward ending the active phase of the war, believing Iran can now be forced either to dismantle its nuclear program or face economic collapse, according to the report.

The deliberations come six months after the United States and Israel launched the war and expose an increasingly stark contrast between the White House’s political strategy and the Pentagon’s military planning.

Roughly 50,000 US troops are currently deployed across the Middle East, backed by 19 warships, fighter squadrons, air-defense units and airborne forces.

Some deployments are being extended into 2027 as military commanders plan for the possibility that the confrontation will continue even if Trump formally announces an end to the war.

Elements of the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division could remain in the region well into next year, while air-defense units that normally deploy for nine months are being told to expect 12-month tours. Some units originally intended for Europe or the Pacific have already spent more than a year in the Middle East.

The Navy is facing similar strain. Two aircraft carriers and 13 guided-missile destroyers are among the American warships operating in the region, while extended deployments and disrupted resupply routes have forced ships to rely more heavily on the remote Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean.

“They’re setting it up to be sustained over the long haul,” former senior Navy official Bryan Clark said, describing preparations extending “well into next year.”

Trump, however, has increasingly suggested that military force may no longer need to be the primary instrument for achieving his objectives.

His administration recently unveiled a broader economic pressure campaign aimed at isolating Iran from international trade, cutting off its oil revenues and threatening foreign companies and governments that continue doing business with Tehran.

Iran’s foreign trade has already fallen by roughly 35% under the combined impact of the war, sanctions and the US blockade, according to Iranian officials.

Trump has argued that the strategy is working, repeatedly pointing to Iran’s deteriorating economy and reduced oil exports as evidence that Tehran will ultimately have to concede.

The president has also openly encouraged Iranians to turn against their government, writing recently that Iran’s economy was “totally collapsing” and asking: “When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?”

The administration’s emphasis on economics follows months of shifting war aims.

Trump initially predicted that the conflict would last four to five weeks. Six months later, some of the administration’s original objectives remain unresolved, including the fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and a durable agreement preventing Tehran from rebuilding its nuclear program.

The Strait of Hormuz, meanwhile, has emerged as a central battlefield despite not being among Washington’s initial stated objectives.

The United States had largely reduced its strikes during an approximately monthlong lull before fighting erupted again this week.

US forces struck Iranian radar, missile systems and equipment along the Strait of Hormuz after accusing Tehran of rebuilding military capabilities and attempting to deploy additional mines. Iran responded with missile and drone attacks across the region.

Despite the renewed fighting, Trump said Wednesday that he did not expect the latest campaign to continue for “too long.”

“We took out all of the new equipment that they tried to build along the Strait of Hormuz,” Trump said, adding that the United States was prepared to strike again “any time we want.”

The president’s willingness to consider declaring the broader war over does not therefore appear to mean a US military withdrawal from the region.

American forces are expected to continue defending bases and allied countries, intercepting Iranian missiles and drones, protecting commercial shipping, enforcing the blockade and retaining the ability to launch new attacks if ordered.

Trump has also been briefed on significantly more aggressive options, including intensified airstrikes, operations against suspected nuclear facilities and the possible seizure of Iranian-held islands near the Strait of Hormuz.