Trump Is ‘Ready To End Iran Attacks’, ‘War Beyond Halfway Point’ For Netanyahu: Decoding The Remarks

Last Updated:March 31, 2026, 11:52 IST

Will US President Donald Trump end the Iran military campaign even if Strait of Hormuz remains shut? Will Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu agree to it?

Both US President Donald Trump and Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu have indicated that the military campaign against Iran, which was launched on February 28, has reached a critical turning point. While Trump has shown “willingness to end it even if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed", Netanyahu has said the “war is beyond the halfway point"and that regime change was never the goal.

The US and Israel had launched joint strikes against Iran, which in turn retaliated, spreading the war to the entire Gulf region. The Strait of Hormuz is a strategically important choke point for the world’s energy supplies. The strait, a narrow shipping lane that connects the Persian Gulf with the Indian Ocean, remains effectively closed, bringing to a near halt the transit of hundreds of vessels per day, including container, dry bulk and liquid cargo ships.

What have Trump and Netanyahu said? Is the end near? Will it be easy?

What did Trump say? Will he end Iran military op even if Strait of Hormuz remains closed?

US President Donald Trump has told his aides that he’s willing to end the military operation against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, leaving the campaign to reopen it for a later date, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing administration officials.

In recent days, Trump and his aides assessed that a mission to pry open the chokepoint would push the conflict beyond his timeline of four to six weeks, the Daily said in a report.

According to the report, Trump decided that the US should achieve its main goals of hobbling Iran’s navy and its missile stocks and wind down current hostilities while pressuring Tehran diplomatically to resume the free flow of trade. If that fails, Washington would press allies in Europe and the Gulf to take the lead on reopening the strait, the WSJ said, quoting officials.

At a media briefing on Monday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president and the chief of the Pentagon have always stated a four to six-week estimated timeline for the military operation. “We’re on day 30 today," she said. Leavitt also indicated that the Arab countries can be asked to share the burden of the military operation in Iran. “I think it’s something the president would be quite interested in. I won’t get ahead of him on that but certainly it’s an idea, something that I think you’ll hear more from him on," she said to a question of whether countries such as Kuwait, the UAE and Saudi Arabia should pick up the tab for the Iran operation.

Trump earlier asserted that Iran is “desperate" for a deal and has supposedly agreed to most of a 15-point US proposal. However, Iran’s foreign ministry has publicly denied that any formal negotiations are taking place.

What did Netanyahu say? Iran’s regime change was not the goal?

Prime Minister Netanyahu stated on March 30 that the war is “definitely beyond the halfway point" in terms of missions accomplished. Netanyahu claims the operation has successfully killed “thousands" of Revolutionary Guard members and “wiped out" significant portions of Iran’s arms industry and nuclear program.

While Netanyahu maintains that official regime change is not the goal, he expressed confidence that the Islamic Republic will “collapse internally" due to the strikes. Trump has gone further, claiming the war has effectively achieved “regime change" by empowering more accommodating internal figures, according to BBC.

Will ending the war be easy? What may come in the way of a ceasefire

While Trump wants a deal by April 6, Netanyahu has refused to set a specific schedule, stating that being “halfway" refers to mission objectives rather than time.

Netanyahu has hinted that even if the US chooses to withdraw or negotiate a ceasefire, Israel may continue independent strikes until all threats are eliminated.

Some Gulf allies are reportedly privately urging Trump to continue the war until Iran is “decisively defeated," fearing that Tehran has not yet been weakened enough.

KEY FAQs

Is the war about to end?

Not yet. While Donald Trump has signaled willingness to stop attacks, there is no formal ceasefire or agreement with Iran, and fighting continues.

What does “war beyond halfway" mean?

When Benjamin Netanyahu says this, it means key military goals have been partly achieved, but core objectives (like long-term security and Iran’s capabilities) are still unresolved.

Why are Trump and Netanyahu saying different things?

The US is open to winding down the conflict sooner, while Israel wants stronger, lasting outcomes before ending the war—creating a gap in strategy despite close coordination.

With PTI, agency inputs

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