US President Donald Trump is considering formally declaring that the fighting against Iran has come to an end, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday morning.
According to the report, Trump has held private discussions with senior officials over whether to publicly declare an end ot the fighting; US sources told WSJ that he is currently leaning towards doing so.
The administration's approach is based on the assessment that economic pressure and sanctions have created a stranglehold that will force the Iranian regime either to abandon its nuclear ambitions or face internal collapse.
Meanwhile, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth signed an order extending the deployment of US forces throughout the Middle East into 2027. The decision includes maintaining a presence of 50,000 troops, 19 warships, air-defense systems, and fighter squadrons - a move that reports say is placing an increased burden on forces serving in the region.
Officials briefed on US policy stressed that the current objective is not to return to high-intensity combat or expand the conflict.
Instead, the military leadership seeks to continue targeted operations similar to those carried out earlier this week, with the goal of reducing the threat posed to ships by Iranian forces.