By Veeragathi Thanabalasingam
Colombo, March 28 – After entering the White House for a second term in January 2025, US President Donald Trump proudly claimed credit for halting eight wars in various regions across the globe within a ten-month period. He arrogantly questioned who else but himself could stop wars with a single phone call.
However, he is currently faltering, unable to end the war he launched against Iran alongside Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Before commencing the war, the U.S. and Israel had three primary goals: forcing Iran to shut down its nuclear program;removing highly enriched uranium from Iran; eliminating Iran’s missile capabilities and severing its support for non-state proxy forces in West Asia.
Yet, exactly one month later, Trump’s top priority has shifted to the necessity of reopening the Strait of Hormuz. After the war erupted, Iran closed the Strait, leaving Trump with no easy options: he must either negotiate a deal with Tehran or authorize a major ground military operation. Reports suggest that the U.S. has already sent thousands of troops to the Gulf.
Trump’s recent announcement to pause attacks on Iran’s energy infrastructure for a few days is suspected to be a tactic. While appearing interested in negotiations to the world, it may simply be a move to gain time to prepare for even more intense strikes.
Last week, the US sent a 15-point peace proposal to Iran through Pakistan to end the war. Tehran rejected it and put forward its own conditions. The U.S. had offered a 30-day ceasefire and sanctions relief if Iran abandoned its nuclear program and reopened the Strait of Hormuz.
However, Iran has set five conditions to end the war, which began on February 28 after the U.S. and Israel assassinated Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and several other leaders through airstrikes: a complete halt to aggression and assassinations; concrete mechanisms to prevent future attacks; compensation for damages caused by the war ; an end to conflicts on all fronts; Recognition of Iran’s sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
The world is astonished by Iran’s resilience. Despite the loss of its Supreme Leader and top commanders, Iran’s leadership structure has not collapsed. It continues to direct missile strikes against Israel and Gulf Arab nations hosting US bases. Even amidst unprecedented destruction from a month of brutal bombings, Iran refuses to surrender under U.S. terms.
The world finds it difficult to trust the statements of Donald Trump, an unpredictable and headstrong figure. At one point, he claimed the U.S. had already won the war; a few days later, he requested other nations—specifically NATO allies—to send warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Those nations explicitly refused to join the U.S. in the conflict.
During a cabinet meeting last Thursday, Trump severely criticized NATO countries for rejecting his request. He told the cabinet that the US is heading toward victory ahead of schedule and claimed Iran is “begging” him for a deal.
Meanwhile, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in France last Friday, stated that the US expects the war to end in “weeks, not months.” His warning that Iran might implement a toll system for ships using the Strait of Hormuz highlights the desperate need for international assistance to reopen the waterway.
Current trends suggest this will be another ” regressive war” for the United States. There is a grave danger that the US and Israel will focus on annihilating Iran’s military and economic infrastructure to prevent it from rising again. In retaliation, Iran is likely to intensify missile attacks on the oil resources of Gulf Arab states, potentially leading to the destruction of the Middle East’s oil wealth.
The Guardian reports that the war is costing the U.S. $30–40 billion and Israel $300 million per day.
Internal dissatisfaction within the Trump administration is also surfacing. Joe Kent, Director of the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center, resigned three weeks into the war. Kent, a Republican appointed in July 2025, stated:
“It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and influential pro-Israel lobby groups. I cannot support this in good conscience.”
Trump’s current actions suggest that the US is yet to learn from its worst historical experiences of deploying ground troops in various regions.
If Trump is truly interested in stopping the war at this stage, it is essential that he restrains his war ally, Prime Minister Netanyahu—who is currently raining bombs on Iran and Lebanon like a “unhinged bully “—before any diplomatic progress can be made.
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Trump, Iran, War, Israel,
