President Trump announced he is considering “winding down” the Iran war, claiming the US is “getting very close” to achieving its military objectives. The statement arrived just hours after reports revealed the Pentagon is making detailed preparations to deploy ground forces into Iran.
As detailed by BBC, Trump made the remarks Friday afternoon in Washington as he prepared to leave for Florida, telling reporters, “I don’t want to do a ceasefire. You don’t do a ceasefire when you’re literally obliterating the other side.” He later posted on Truth Social, “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran.”
This is not the first time Trump has signaled a swift conclusion. On March 9, he claimed in a phone interview that the war was “very complete, pretty much,” and in public remarks the same day said it would be over “pretty quickly.”
The Pentagon’s ground invasion plans tell a different story
Behind the scenes, Pentagon officials have been drawing up plans for a ground invasion of Iran, including discussions about how the US would handle the detention of Iranian soldiers operating inside the country. The US military is also preparing to deploy around 2,500 Marines and additional warships to the area, with Retired Colonel Mark Cancian of the Center for Strategic and International Studies estimating it could take a week to a month for troops to fully arrive.
Trump reiterated his stance on the Strait of Hormuz, posting on Truth Social that it “will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it – The United States does not!” Iran has also been constructing a ship vetting system for vessels seeking to pass through the strait. He criticized NATO allies for their perceived reluctance to help reopen the route, calling it a “simple” military maneuver and adding, “So easy for them to do, with so little risk. COWARDS, and we will REMEMBER!”
Oil prices have risen approximately 50% since the US and Israel launched military strikes on February 28. The Trump administration announced Friday it would waive sanctions on Iran, allowing the sale of 140 million barrels of oil held on tankers since the war began.
Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Iranian Supreme Leader, issued a written statement Friday to mark Nowruz, the Persian New Year, with Iranians divided on how to observe the holiday amid the war. Khamenei claimed the “enemy has been defeated” and has not been seen publicly since his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, was killed in an Israeli attack on the first day of the war.
Published: Mar 21, 2026 05:00 am