U.S. President Donald Trump is considering officially declaring that the war against Iran has come to an end, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday morning.

According to the report, Trump has held closed-door discussions with senior officials about whether to publicly announce an end to the war. U.S. officials told the newspaper that he favors the idea and believes that sanctions and economic pressure have created a stranglehold that will force the regime to abandon its nuclear program or collapse from within.

At the same time, the report cited officials as saying the Pentagon is extending troop deployments across the Middle East, suggesting the army is preparing for the confrontation to continue into next year.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has extended the deployment of U.S. forces in the Middle East into 2027—a move involving 50,000 troops, 19 warships, air-defense systems and fighter squadrons, which the report said is increasing the burden on U.S. military forces in the region.

The developments come amid renewed exchanges of fire between the United States and Iran in the Strait of Hormuz.

In an interview with Kan News last night, Trump sought to send a reassuring message to Jerusalem, declaring: “Israel does not need to worry about the war with Iran resuming. I’m the president—and I’ll take care of Israel.”

Officials briefed by the U.S. administration clarified that the goal is not to expand the campaign into high-intensity warfare, but rather to continue targeted operations aimed at reducing the Iranian threat to vessels.

(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)