President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend planned military strikes on Iran for two weeks has intensified questions about the direction and coherence of the U.S. approach to the conflict. The strikes, once set for 3:00 a.m. Israel time, had already been postponed several times before being halted altogether, at least for now. What had been presented as a firm ultimatum has instead become a moving deadline, contributing to a growing sense of uncertainty around American policy.
The administration has framed the delay as an opportunity for diplomacy, citing ongoing mediation efforts involving regional actors. But the pattern of escalating rhetoric followed by repeated postponements has led some analysts to question whether Washington is signaling resolve—or hesitation.
Deadlines that are publicly declared and then withdrawn risk weakening their intended effect, particularly in a confrontation where credibility plays a central role.
Unclear Objectives at the Core
At the center of the criticism is a more fundamental issue: the lack of clearly defined war aims.
Early statements emphasizing broad strategic goals have gradually given way to a narrower and less clearly articulated focus on containment and deterrence. What remains uncertain is how these objectives translate into a concrete end state—or how success would be measured.
Despite sustained military pressure, Iran has continued to demonstrate resilience, maintaining missile activity and regional operations.
The United States, meanwhile, has considered increasingly severe options, including strikes on critical infrastructure such as electricity systems. Such measures carry significant risks, particularly in a region where civilian infrastructure is closely tied to essential services like water supply.
A Conflict Expanding Beyond Its Initial Scope
As the confrontation evolves, its scope appears to be widening. Strategic issues that were once secondary, including control of key maritime routes, have moved to the forefront, while earlier priorities have receded.
Analysts warn that this kind of strategic drift can make conflicts more difficult to resolve, as new objectives emerge without replacing or clearly redefining the original ones.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt said Wednesday evening that Iran had signaled it was willing to transfer its stockpile of enriched uranium, adding that such a move was one of US President Donald Trump's main goals.
Trump said one of the main reasons for starting the war in late February was to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, something Iran has long denied it aspires to. "That's a red line that the president will not back down from and he is committed to making sure that happens," Levitt said at a press briefing. Asked if the Iranians had hinted that they would transfer the uranium, she replied: "Yes, they have." She did not provide further details beyond that.
Iran had 440.9 kilograms of enriched Uranium
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimates that when Israel launched the first wave of attacks on Iran in June, Iran had 440.9 kilograms of uranium at a level of enrichment of 60%. If it enriches further, Iran would have enough to produce about ten nuclear bombs, according to IAEA figures.
Iran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only. IAEA chief Rafael Grossi said that almost half of Iran’s enriched uranium, up to 60%, was stored in a tunnel complex in Isfahan and is likely still there. The tunnel complex is the only target that appears to have been significantly unaffected by the Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities in June.
“Right now it’s buried and we’re monitoring it. We know exactly what they have and they know it,” US Defense Secretary Pete Hasseth told reporters today, adding that Washington reserves the right to carry out additional military strikes against Iran’s enriched uranium if necessary.
Netanyahu: Iran’s enriched uranium will be taken from it
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement today that Iran’s enriched uranium will be taken from it by agreement or by force.
Levitt said at the briefing that Trump wants to see the Strait of Hormuz open to oil tankers and vessel traffic without any restrictions, including transit fees. “The president’s immediate priority is to reopen the Strait without any restrictions, whether in the form of fees or otherwise,” the White House spokeswoman said, adding that the United States had seen an increase in vessel traffic in the Strait of Hormuz today. She was asked who currently controls the Strait of Hormuz, but declined to answer.
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important strategic maritime bottlenecks, with about 20 percent of all seaborne crude oil and liquefied natural gas passing through it.
Amid the ceasefire talks, Tehran has sought to cement that control by proposing to impose fees on vessels passing through the Strait, and Trump hinted today that the United States and Iran might collect fees as part of a joint venture.
Levitt also clarified, similar to the statement issued by Israel, that Lebanon is not included in the terms of the two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States and Iran.
The White House spokeswoman attacked NATO during a press briefing, quoting Trump's words that the military alliance "was tested and failed" during the war with Iran. "It's quite sad that NATO has turned its back on the American people over the last six weeks when it is the American people who have financed their defense," Levitt said. She added that Trump will have a "direct and honest conversation" with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on the issue later today, when they meet in Washington.
Trump: Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire
US President Donald Trump clarified today (Wednesday) that Lebanon is not included in the two-week ceasefire agreement signed with Iran. Trump was asked in an interview on the US public television network (PBS) why Lebanon is not part of the agreement, and replied: "Because of Hezbollah. It will be taken care of, everything is fine." Earlier today, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office issued a statement in English stating that the ceasefire does not include Lebanon, but the Pakistani prime minister, who is mediating the talks, said that it does.
The IDF continued to attack Lebanon, and the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported that Tehran threatened to withdraw from the agreement if the Israeli attacks did not stop. The Wall Street Journal reported, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Tehran also told the mediators that a ceasefire in Lebanon was a condition for its participation in the negotiations, and warned that it would not open the Strait of Hormuz as it had pledged. According to the sources, Iran even threatened to continue attacking countries in the region, including Israel, if the IDF attacks in Lebanon continued.
The government fears that a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah will not be fully implemented due to the IDF's presence in the south of the country. According to the same sources identified with the government, it is unclear what a ceasefire would mean even if one were officially announced. For example, it is unclear whether it would include an Israeli withdrawal at a specified time, or whether Israel would continue to control the territory but allow tens of thousands of displaced people from villages in southern Lebanon to return to their homes. The IDF announced today that it had carried out the largest attack in the current campaign in Lebanon, according to it, during which it attacked about 100 Hezbollah headquarters and infrastructure throughout the country. The Lebanese Minister of Health said that 112 people were killed and 722 were injured in the attacks. According to the IDF statement, among other things, Hezbollah's intelligence headquarters and infrastructure of the organization's fire and naval forces, as well as structures related to the Radwan Force and its air unit, were attacked. Since the evening, Hezbollah has not launched missiles or drones at Israel, but during the afternoon, a rocket fired from Lebanon to the north fell in open terrain.
This was and remains a disastrous war of deception. Two scoundrels have drowned the region in blood, fire, and plumes of smoke, and have plunged the world into a global energy crisis. Trump thought, or was convinced to think, that it would take 3 days. After 40 nightmarish days and sleepless nights, it is clear that none of the declared and magnanimous goals of the war have been achieved. Not destroying the nuclear project, not removing the missile threat, not overthrowing the regime. The big winner is the military junta of the Revolutionary Guards, which took over Iran in place of the ayatollahs and will from now on lead an even tougher line against the West, and of course against the unfortunate Iranian people — whose pathos-filled concern for their well-being has been replaced by "crushing," "damaging infrastructure," and "creating conditions for a future change of government."
Trump gave the Revolutionary Guards recognition
Trump gave the Revolutionary Guards a precedent-setting recognition of their control over the safe passage through the Strait. Iran's position was strengthened: it faced a proactive and combined attack by the "Little Devil" and the "Great Devil," and despite military and air superiority, it was able to repel them. Israel's situation, on the other hand, worsened immeasurably.
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