Trump's Contradictory Iran Rhetoric Masks a Stalemate, Not Victory

At a NATO summit, Trump declared the Iran war "over" while threatening fresh strikes—a contradiction that signals not resolution but deadlock. Four months after killing Supreme Leader Khamenei, US-backed efforts to break Tehran's will have stalled. Iran refuses to surrender control of the Strait of Hormuz. Mediators describe the atmosphere as "very tense." The rhetoric-versus-reality gap suggests Trump lacks a better option than continued negotiations he publicly dismisses.