Trump Signals Possible Wind Down of Iran Campaign Amid Conflicting Troop Reports

US President Donald Trump signaled on March 20, 2026, that the United States is considering scaling back its military campaign against Iran, writing on Truth Social that Washington is "getting very close to meeting our objectives" and is weighing a "winding down" of operations. The statement came roughly three weeks after the United States and Israel launched an aerial offensive against Iran on February 28, 2026. Trump listed five objectives he described as nearly achieved: degrading Iran's missile capabilities and launch systems, destroying the Iranian defense industrial base, eliminating the Iranian navy and air force including anti-aircraft weaponry, preventing Iran from developing nuclear capability, and protecting US allies in the Middle East, including Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Kuwait. The post marked what Axios described as the strongest signal yet that Trump is actively moving toward ending the conflict, though a US official cited by Axios cautioned that the statement does not indicate an imminent end to the war.

Troop deployments contradict Trump's wind-down talk Trump's de-escalation rhetoric stood in direct tension with simultaneous reports of intensified US military movements toward the region. The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington plans to send between 2,200 and 2,500 Marines based in California, with amphibious operations capability, to the Middle East. CNN, citing two anonymous military officials, reported that thousands of US Marines and sailors are already en route to the region, with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit and an amphibious group among the units involved. Axios, citing four sources directly involved in the matter, reported that the possibility of ground operations inside Iran is also under active examination, with military commanders said to have prepared corresponding scenarios. When asked directly about ground troops, Trump told CBS News "No, I'm not sending troops anywhere," before adding: "If I did, I certainly wouldn't tell you." A US official speaking to Axios said the military "is striking hard and continuously" and that the conflict would likely continue "a couple of weeks" longer. Axios also reported that Trump had originally hoped to end the war before the end of March, but the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has forced a longer timeline.

20 (percent) — share of world oil and LNG that passed through Hormuz before the war

Key events in the US-Iran conflict: — ; — ; —

NATO allies branded 'cowards' over Hormuz refusal Trump directed sharp criticism at NATO member states on the same day, calling them "cowards" for refusing his request to send naval assets in support of operations in the Strait of Hormuz. In his Truth Social post, Trump argued that the strait "will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other nations that use it," adding that the United States does not use it and therefore should not bear sole responsibility for securing it. He offered conditional US assistance, writing that Washington would help "if asked," but insisted such help "shouldn't be necessary once Iran's threat is eradicated." Trump characterized a future policing operation by other nations as "an easy military operation for them." Axios reported that Trump's team has been struggling to determine how best to reopen the strait, with options including the seizure of Kharg Island off the Iranian coast under active White House discussion. Trump also ruled out any ceasefire with Iran, with BFMTV reporting he dismissed the idea as impossible "when you are annihilating the opposing camp." The Hormuz situation has placed Trump in a strategic bind: he cannot declare full victory without breaking Iran's chokehold on Gulf oil, but forcing the strait open by military means risks further escalation and potential US casualties.

Nuclear risk and Iran's retaliation complicate any exit Iran has responded to the US-Israeli offensive with missile and drone attacks against Israel and neighboring Gulf states, while simultaneously placing the Strait of Hormuz under military threat, causing international oil and gas prices to rise sharply. The nuclear dimension of the conflict adds a further layer of complexity to any potential US withdrawal. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, as cited by Blick, Iran holds considerable quantities of highly enriched uranium, and airstrikes alone are insufficient to fully account for or secure that material. Without ground control, the location of portions of Iran's nuclear stockpile and who has access to it remains uncertain, a factor that Blick identified as a possible driver behind internal US discussions about ground operations. Axios described Trump as internally divided over the war, simultaneously worried about rising oil prices and frustrated by allied reluctance, while also energized by the military campaign's results. „We're hot! We're winning!” — Donald Trump via Axios Polls cited by Axios show the war is broadly unpopular, though Trump's advisers say he focuses on the strong support for the conflict among his core Republican base.