Donald Trump is facing mounting questions over his strategy toward Iran, as his latest statements appear – once again – to contradict both the justifications he invoked to initiate the war and the objectives his own administration had been setting for months. While Washington, until recently, still characterized securing Iranian nuclear material and achieving a binding agreement with Tehran—under which Iran would never acquire nuclear weapons—as critical, the American President now argues that the war has already achieved its purpose because Iran has essentially been denuclearized.
Both these statements and others, such as the argument that the US and Israel managed to overthrow the regime in Iran through their military operations, have no bearing on reality. It is now crystal clear that the Americans achieved none of the vague and shifting goals they had set when they began the war with Iran. Precisely because of this overwhelming failure, many analysts are speaking of an utterly failed war that not only did not weaken but instead strengthened Iran—for instance, in Hormuz—in the new era taking shape in the Persian Gulf and the wider Middle East. Perhaps this is why Trump is now preparing the way for a US withdrawal from the war in Iran.
The nuclear threat and confusion
When US President Donald Trump decided to go to war with Iran in February, he cited the allegedly imminent nuclear threat posed by the country. However, there was a fundamental problem from the very beginning: for eight months, he had been arguing that Iran's nuclear program had already been "obliterated" by the attacks of the previous year. Just two weeks before the start of the war, Trump had stated that the American and Israeli strikes of June 2025 had left Iran without even the "potential capability" to acquire nuclear weapons. Now, as Trump attempts to disengage from a highly unpopular war, he is broadcasting even more confused messages regarding the status of Iran's nuclear threat.
Iran does not have nuclear weapons
After more than four months of war and significant economic cost to the United States and the global economy—with the core objectives being to secure Iranian nuclear material and reach a deal that would permanently prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon—Trump now claims that none of this is even necessary. He asserts that the war has already been crowned with success because Iran has already been denuclearized. It is as if Iran's nuclear program has magically returned to a state of being "obliterated"—precisely at the moment when Trump's efforts to reach an agreement appear to be collapsing.
The operation succeeded
Trump repeated this claim multiple times on Wednesday at the NATO Summit in Turkey. Asked if the war has reached a "strategic stalemate," Trump replied that this is not the case because, as he said, the operation has already succeeded. "I was there for one reason: for Iran to never acquire a nuclear weapon. I call it the denuclearization of Iran," he stated. "And that has happened; they will never get a nuclear weapon."
They cannot retrieve it
Trump argued that Iran's nuclear material is now "so deep under a mountain" that it is practically impossible to retrieve. At the same time, he cited the surveillance capabilities of the United States, saying that American authorities can monitor the nuclear facilities via cameras and ensure that no one gains access. "There is no way they can get a nuclear weapon," he added.
Under our control
At another event, when asked how he intends to acquire Iran's nuclear material, he replied that the United States essentially already has it under its control. "We already have the nuclear material because it is so deep underground," he said. "No one will be able to get it except us." He added: "They can't take it." "I believe this is a massive success," he stated during his first appearance.
Getting ready to leave
As CNN points out, there are two key points worth highlighting. First, this is simply the latest indication that Trump is preparing the ground for potentially abandoning the efforts in Iran without having achieved his core objectives. The administration has repeatedly presented securing Iranian nuclear material as a non-negotiable priority—a "red line," as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had stated just six weeks ago. However, Trump has also hinted that this might not ultimately be necessary, arguing that the material is inaccessible to Iran and that the relevant areas can be monitored from space.
Lies
Perhaps most importantly, however, these statements raise even more serious questions about the initial justifications for launching the war and whether it began—and continued—under false pretenses. Trump's rationales were already contradictory since the early days of the war, and not just because of the claims regarding the "obliteration" of the nuclear program.
The 4 goals that constantly changed
His administration also presented four different and constantly shifting objectives. Furthermore, when Trump initially threatened war in January, he did not focus on the alleged nuclear threat, but on regime change—a goal which he also claimed, without logical coherence, had already been achieved through the elimination of specific leadership figures, even though this does not constitute regime change.
No relation to reality
Trump's latest assertions, according to which Iran is now permanently denuclearized, are even harder to reconcile with the facts. It is certainly possible that the strikes during this war have made accessing the nuclear material even more difficult. However, the most significant strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities had already taken place in June 2025, when Trump first stated that the nuclear program had been "obliterated." Concurrently, the main military operations of this war had essentially ended three months ago, with the announcement of the first ceasefire on April 7.
The questions
If Iran's nuclear material is now buried so deeply that the program is considered virtually inactive and an agreement is no longer required, why was this not the case three months ago? Why did the Trump administration spend so much time pursuing a nuclear deal and insisting that it had to acquire the nuclear material? And why not simply continue the strikes on the nuclear installations to bury the material even deeper, if that is considered a sufficient solution?
No logic
None of this seems to possess logical coherence. Everything points toward a much less convincing explanation for why Trump is making these claims now: that he has lost his patience with the war and realizes that a favorable deal is rather unlikely to be achieved. Iran, after all, does not seem particularly interested in such an agreement, as suggested by the repeated alleged violations of the ceasefire. Therefore, it is preferable to begin shaping the narrative of his departure, even though many of his goals remain unfulfilled.
Failure
It is also worth considering what this would mean for the war effort itself. It would not just be a failure to achieve Trump's objectives, but a war that incurred a significant cost without any substantial benefit. Beyond the 13 lives of American military personnel lost in the conflict, the most significant consequences include the economic shock of recent months and Iran's now-proven capability to control the Strait of Hormuz. The latter development, in particular, may decisively affect the future of the Middle East as well as the global economy. And judging by Trump's most recent statements, it increasingly appears that this may be the most significant outcome of this war.
CNN: Israel warned the US about a new Iranian plan targeting Trump for assassination
Israel transmitted intelligence to the United States indicating that Iran had recently drawn up a new plan to assassinate President Donald Trump. This was reported to CNN by two sources with knowledge of the matter, adding yet another factor of tension at a time when the ceasefire agreement between the two sides is being tested. One of the sources stated that the warning was conveyed this week. A second source mentioned that US intelligence agencies had recorded a steady stream of information over recent weeks regarding potential assassination plots against Trump; however, the Israeli briefing was new and concerned a specific conspiracy.
Scenario of… influence
Other American officials estimated that the Israeli report might represent an attempt to influence Trump's decisions at a moment when he is considering the possibility of intensifying US military action against Iran. The details of the alleged plan have not yet become known. Two sources with knowledge of the topic stated that American agencies had not independently confirmed the intelligence nor were they tracking this specific plot prior to the Israeli warning. The United States government has warned for years that Iran might seek to assassinate Trump in retaliation for the drone operation he ordered in 2020, which resulted in the death of top Iranian General Qasem Soleimani.
They want to eliminate me
Asked about the Israeli warning, which was initially published by the Wall Street Journal, the White House referred to Trump's recent statements regarding Iran's alleged intentions to assassinate him. "They want to eliminate the leader of the United States—me," Trump told reporters on Wednesday. "I'm on whatever list they have. I saw this morning that I'm on all their lists. So far I've been rather lucky, but maybe that won't last for long. These are bad and twisted people. We have to eradicate this cancer. You know what you do with cancer? You remove it while it's still early. That's how I see it."
The new list
Later, Trump claimed that he was recently informed of the existence of a new list in which he appears as Iran's number-one target for assassination. It is not clear whether he was referring to the new intelligence transmitted by Israel. Over the weekend, during the funeral ceremonies for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed at the start of the war, crowds of Iranians shouted slogans in favor of assassinating Trump. Tension between the United States and Iran has risen significantly in recent days, with the two sides exchanging threats and military strikes, while the 60-day ceasefire that had been agreed upon to end hostilities is now essentially collapsing.
Under surveillance
Two sources with knowledge of recent US intelligence assessments stated that the intelligence community is monitoring various actors who have discussed the possibility of attacks without, so far, having proceeded to actions. One of the sources noted that American agencies have long been concerned that Iran could target current and former high-ranking US officials.
The role of Netanyahu
The same source added, however, that the Israeli report is being viewed partly as an element of a broader effort by Israel to influence Trump's decisions regarding Iran. As pointed out, within the American intelligence community, there is a long-standing caution toward certain Israeli reports. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed serious doubts about Trump's diplomatic initiatives toward Iran, while in the past he had clashed with him regarding Israeli military operations in Lebanon, which had complicated negotiations. The two leaders had a telephone communication on Thursday, while Netanyahu is expected to visit Washington soon for talks with the American President.
Talks continue
On Thursday, another American official stated that diplomatic contacts with Iran are continuing behind the scenes, despite the resumption of military strikes and despite the fact that Trump had stated a day earlier that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iran "is over." According to the same official, Washington and Tehran are still working with the goal of reaching an agreement on the nuclear program by mid-August. Several officials revealed that preparations had been made for potential military strikes on Thursday night, but ultimately it was decided to give priority to diplomacy.
USS Abraham Lincoln on standby
Earlier that day, on the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, crews were loading fighter jets with weaponry, while pilots conducted drills ahead of a possible order for operations. The commander of the aircraft carrier, Dan Keeler, informed the thousands of crew members that the situation is evolving at a rapid pace. Alongside the preparations, the fighter jets continued to execute their routine defensive missions, with flights taking place throughout the day and night.
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