Trump faces six-month milestone in U.S.-Israel war with Iran as strategy shifts to sanctions
The conflict, which President Trump once described as a short "excursion," has lasted six months; the administration is now emphasizing economic pressure on Iran while acknowledging depleted munitions and rising costs.
President Donald Trump arrived in Houston on Friday as the U.S.-Israel war against Iran entered its sixth month, a period far longer than the weeks he previously told the public the conflict would last. The administration announced a shift toward heightened economic pressure, threatening sanctions against any country or entity that continues business with Tehran, while it assesses dwindling munitions stocks after months of air and naval strikes.
Trump said the campaign has already devastated Iran’s leadership, military and economy, and he reiterated that the United States is not in a hurry to bring Iran back to negotiations. "They’re not paying their troops. They’re in deep trouble. They have very little capacity," he told reporters, adding that the U.S. does not intend to meet Iranian officials.
The war has cost the United States more than $37.5 billion and has drawn criticism ahead of the November elections. While no American troops have been deployed in Iran, the conflict has reduced traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, with only about 24 vessels passing in a recent day compared with roughly 130 before the war.
Qatar and Pakistan continue diplomatic outreach, but Trump has shown little interest in reviving a June deal that aimed to reopen the strait and start nuclear talks. He claimed the U.S. naval blockade is preventing Iranian oil from reaching markets, stating, "We have control and we have the blockade. Iran is not getting anything. Nothing is going through."
Geopolitical analysts note that Iran’s economy was already weakened before the war, but the regime has historically adapted to sanctions. Aarathi Krishnan of RAKSHA Intelligence Future warned that the administration may be underestimating Iranian resilience. Former senior Iran adviser Richard Goldberg suggested a comprehensive embargo that would seal off all trade routes, but the Treasury’s "Operation Economic Outcast" has so far issued only warnings, without secondary sanctions.
China, Iran’s largest oil buyer, has opposed what it calls illegal unilateral sanctions. When asked why Chinese banks have not yet been sanctioned, Trump replied, "Who said I’m not? You don’t know if I’m doing it. I don’t have to announce everything, do I?"