President Donald Trump is reportedly prepared to end the war with Iran without securing a comprehensive nuclear agreement, as his administration focuses on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and bringing the months-long conflict to a close.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump has in recent weeks laid the groundwork to declare victory if Tehran agrees to reopen the critical shipping route, even if broader disputes over Iran’s nuclear program remain unresolved.

The report comes as the White House believes an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz may be within reach. Such a breakthrough would allow Trump to argue that the U.S. achieved one of its central objectives in the conflict while easing pressure on global energy markets ahead of the midterm elections.

Iran, however, reportedly hardened its demands on Saturday. Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, a senior official on Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, said reopening the strait would require a permanent end to the war, the lifting of sanctions and the U.S. maritime blockade, the withdrawal of American forces, the release of frozen Iranian assets and the payment of war reparations.

The demands came shortly after another reported missile attack targeting a United Arab Emirates vessel.

The conflict, which began in late February, has driven up energy prices, with the average U.S. gasoline price now around $4.02 per gallon, increasing pressure on the Trump administration to find an exit from the fighting.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump is considering accepting the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and a temporary neutralization of Iran’s nuclear threat rather than insisting on an immediate comprehensive agreement. Trump has made clear that U.S. taxpayer money will not be transferred to Iran, though a partial release of frozen Iranian assets reportedly remains under consideration.

Some analysts believe Tehran’s escalating demands reflect its assessment that Washington is increasingly eager to bring the conflict to an end.

Vice President JD Vance, meanwhile, has said the United States is prepared to maintain economic and military pressure on Iran for as long as necessary. The White House has also stressed that military action remains an option as long as threats against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz continue.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)