Trump Laying Groundwork to Declare Victory Over Iran if Strait of Hormuz Reopens, Officials Say

President Trump has been laying groundwork to declare success in the confrontation with Iran if Tehran fully reopens the Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Officials cited by The Wall Street Journal.

Trump has privately discussed with senior aides the possibility of ending the conflict without securing a nuclear deal, the officials said.

For weeks, the president has positioned the full reopening of the strategic waterway, a critical chokepoint for global oil shipments, as a potential basis for claiming victory in the months-long conflict. Officials indicated that if Iran's nuclear program remains contained and shipping traffic resumes through the strait, Trump would be more likely to extend the current ceasefire indefinitely.

A White House official told the Journal that the United States has "completed all of its military objectives against Iran" And that the president's focus is now on securing the flow of the world's energy through the Strait of Hormuz, while keeping military options available should Iran further target ships.

The statement comes amid ongoing diplomatic efforts involving the United States, Iran and regional partners such as Oman aimed at restoring free passage through the waterway. Iranian officials have recently advanced more extensive demands in exchange for reopening the strait, including significant financial payments, the withdrawal of U.S. Forces from the region and an end to the American naval blockade.

The conflict, which began earlier in 2026, has centered in part on control of the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program. Trump has publicly expressed optimism that the war could end soon while emphasizing U.S. Naval control over the area.