President Donald Trump has privately told his top aides he is ready to wrap up America’s military campaign against Iran in the next few weeks, even if the Strait of Hormuz stays largely blocked to international shipping, according to a new report that has triggered fresh questions about who holds the upper hand in this fast-moving conflict.
The revelation, first reported by The Wall Street Journal on Monday, March 30, comes as the U.S.-led operation, launched with Israeli strikes in late February, enters its fifth week.
Trump and his allies from Israel have hit Iranian naval assets, missile stockpiles, and command centers hard, but Tehran has refused to back down.
Instead, Iran has kept its grip on the narrow waterway that carries about one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, mining sections of it and threatening tankers that try to pass.
Administration officials told the Journal that reopening the strait by force would drag the fighting well past Trump’s self-imposed four- to six-week window.
So the plan now shifts: degrade Iran’s military capabilities first, then lean on diplomacy, or push European and Gulf allies, to clear the passage later.
Trump has already floated the idea on Truth Social, urging countries like China, Japan, South Korea, France, and the UK to step up with their own warships.
“Iran has been decimated,” Trump told CBS News on Tuesday, while saying he wasn’t walking away “quite yet.” But the private comments paint a different picture: a president keen to declare victory on his terms and move on, leaving the economic pain of the blockade for others to fix.
Trump’s stance has critics wondering aloud: Is Iran actually winning this round?
From Tehran’s viewpoint, the answer looks closer to yes than many in Washington want to admit. The strait remains effectively closed to most commercial traffic.
Shipping data shows only a handful of vessels getting through in recent days, many of them linked to Iran’s own exports.
Global oil prices have surged past $100 a barrel for Brent crude, with some analysts warning of $120 or higher if the closure drags into mid-April.
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U.S. gas prices have climbed to $4 a gallon in some areas, the highest since 2022, hitting drivers and rippling through everything from groceries to airline tickets.
Iran didn’t need to sink dozens of ships to make its point. A few attacks, unmanned drone swarms, and reports of fresh mines were enough to scare off insurers and tanker operators.
Meanwhile, Iranian officials have selectively let some vessels through, often after reported fees or negotiations, while keeping the pressure on everyone else.
It’s a low-cost way to inflict high pain on the global economy without matching America’s firepower head-on.
U.S. strikes have clearly hurt Iran’s military.
Iran’s Navy has taken losses, missile launchers have been smashed, and the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in the initial barrage removed a key figure.
Yet Iran’s asymmetric tools, mines, speedboats, and coastal missiles have proven resilient enough to keep the strait contested.
Military experts note that fully clearing a mined chokepoint like Hormuz could take months of dangerous sweeping operations, something Trump apparently doesn’t want on his watch right now.
The financial consequences
European nations reliant on Middle East energy are feeling the pinch. Asian buyers face even steeper costs, with some regional crude benchmarks spiking dramatically.
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The International Monetary Fund has flagged slower global growth and higher inflation. In the U.S., the pain at the pump is real, even if stopgap measures have kept it from exploding further — for now.
Trump’s approach embodies his long-standing “America First” playbook: hit hard, achieve core objectives, then hand off the messy cleanup.
He has criticized NATO allies for dragging their feet, calling the alliance a “paper tiger” for delaying commitments to send ships.
Some Gulf partners and Israel have shown more interest, but a full coalition to escort tankers hasn’t materialized overnight.
Trump’s critics believe that by showing a willingness to end active hostilities without gaining control of the strait, the U.S. may be handing Iran a strategic victory: the ability to arm a vital global chokepoint and live to fight another day.
