US President Donald Trump has signaled he is prepared to end the Iran war even without securing a nuclear deal, according to reporting that points to Tehran’s conditions as a major complicating factor for any orderly exit. While the White House focus remains on forcing a stop to fighting, officials and observers say the practical steps of disengagement—especially around the Strait of Hormuz—have repeatedly produced delays, reversals, and renewed escalation cycles.
The latest reporting frames Trump’s position as both pragmatic and constrained: he may be willing to bring the conflict to a close without a nuclear settlement, but the path toward that outcome is not straightforward. A key reason is that any disengagement requires not only changes in Washington’s posture, but also a response to Iran’s stated demands—demands that, in turn, complicate what a “deal” or an “end” to hostilities would actually look like on the ground.
The Hormuz corridor has become the focal point of these difficulties because it sits at the center of both military risk and economic pressure. The BBC described how the confrontation could continue for months in alternating cycles of attacks, mediation, and temporary ceasefires, raising the question of how long Iran’s leaders can sustain Hormuz as leverage without provoking broader war, renewed unrest, or the accelerated development of alternative routes that reduce the strait’s strategic importance. That uncertainty matters because any ceasefire that does not hold tends to regenerate the very incentives for further strikes.
Recent developments underscore the fragility of attempts to calm the situation. The BBC reported that a Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the US in June aimed to halt military operations and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and to reach an agreement to end the war over the following 60 days. But just weeks after signing, Trump declared the ceasefire “over” after Iranian attacks on ships in Hormuz and subsequent US strikes in retaliation, demonstrating how quickly negotiations can collapse when violence resumes.
The resumption of fighting also carried immediate human consequences. BBC reporting included testimony from a woman in Iran who told BBC Persian she was “very, very saddened” when the combat restarted, illustrating the toll that repeated cycles of escalation and attempted de-escalation can impose on civilians.
Even as the security picture remains unstable, multiple reports suggest that a diplomatic framework for Hormuz access is still being actively pursued. An AP report said Iran told officials it is in the “final stage” of drafting an agreement with Oman over the Strait of Hormuz, while Trump said a deal could be announced this week. AP added that reopening the strait could ease pressure on the world economy and help bring an end to the war, emphasizing the global stakes of any agreement governing passage through the critical waterway.
AP also highlighted the economic impact of closure in stark terms, noting that the Strait of Hormuz is a passageway through which a fifth of the world’s traded oil and natural gas once moved. When closure occurs, fuel and basic goods costs can rise sharply, roiling global markets—conditions that, according to the report, contribute to mounting pressure for a political resolution.
Inside the US, political timing is also a factor. AP said Trump faces mounting pressure to end an unpopular war ahead of congressional elections. At the same time, Vice President JD Vance acknowledged to Fox News that the effort to end the war can appear “messy,” adding that it “is going to take some time.” Vance also suggested that the negotiations can require moving backward before moving forward, a comment that aligns with the historical pattern seen in the ceasefire cycle described by the BBC.
Another strand of reporting adds further context about the gap between resolving the Hormuz dispute and ending the broader conflict. Al Jazeera reported Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that he believes the war “can’t go much longer” and that it “is going to end pretty soon,” adding that he is involved in negotiations with Tehran. Yet Al Jazeera also reported Iran denied holding direct talks with the US, saying it speaks solely to Oman regarding control of the Strait of Hormuz—an indication that communication channels and negotiating authority may differ between the parties.
Al Jazeera further noted skepticism among experts that even a settlement over Hormuz would automatically end the US-Iran war, saying talks to stop the wider conflict would have to restart. That view reflects the core dilemma described across sources: ceasefires and compartmentalized agreements can reduce some pressure, but without durable commitments they risk unraveling, forcing both sides back into cycles of retaliation and renegotiation.
As lawmakers and analysts weigh incentives and credibility, even the mechanics of threats and promises are described as having weakened after repeated breakdowns. Al Jazeera cited concerns that credibility for sticking to any deal, the incentives offered, and the threats themselves could degrade over time—an argument that resonates with the June ceasefire experience, when the arrangement was declared over after attacks and counterstrikes.
Despite this, diplomatic activity appears ongoing, and the question for Washington and Tehran is whether any Hormuz arrangement can be sustained long enough to produce a broader settlement. If Iran’s demands continue to complicate the terms of exit, Trump’s willingness to end the war without a nuclear deal may hinge less on ideology than on whether both sides can agree on workable assurances—especially around a corridor where a single flare-up can rapidly re-ignite hostilities.
For now, the conflicting signals—from Trump’s optimism about an imminent end to Iran’s emphasis on talks via Oman—suggest the final outcome remains uncertain. What appears clear is that any “end” to the war will require alignment on more than just Washington’s end state: it will likely depend on whether the parties can prevent the Strait of Hormuz from once again becoming the trigger point for renewed confrontation.
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