Trump weighs an exit from the war while keeping the door open to further strikes, as the UN Security Council prepares to bring Iran’s nuclear file back to the forefront of sanctions and international oversight

September 3, 2026

Prepared and analyzed by | Strategic Media Department – BETH

Signs are growing in Washington that the administration is exploring an end to the war with Iran, following reports of internal discussions within President Donald Trump’s team over the possibility of declaring the conflict over. The discussions come alongside a push by senior aides to reduce military escalation and rely more heavily on economic pressure. They also coincide with Trump’s statement that the renewed military campaign “will not last long.”

Washington, however, is not yet moving toward a publicly declared negotiated settlement. Trump has denied that he is trying to force Iran back to the negotiating table, while arguing that the Iranian economy is heading toward collapse and that sustained pressure could eventually leave Tehran with a choice between making nuclear concessions or facing a deeper internal crisis.

The message points to a new US formula: end the war from a position of pressure, not by ending the pressure.

The Fire Is Not Out

On the ground, the confrontation remains active. In recent days, the United States has targeted radar systems, air defenses and capabilities linked to mine-laying near the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has responded with missile and drone attacks against US and regional targets, while Kuwait said today that it had intercepted Iranian attacks, following similar interceptions in Bahrain and Jordan.

In the Strait, Washington says it has regained control of international shipping lanes and cleared mines from them. Maritime traffic, however, remains well below normal levels, with only six commodity vessels crossing on Wednesday, while Brent crude remained near $95 a barrel.

The Nuclear File Moves to New York

In parallel, pressure on Iran is shifting to the UN Security Council. France, which holds the rotating presidency of the Council in September, has said the nuclear file will be at the center of this month’s agenda, including Iran’s non-compliance with its commitments and a vote on extending the mandate of the expert panel tasked with monitoring sanctions.

The vote is expected on September 17, ahead of the panel’s mandate expiring later in the month, amid Russian and Chinese opposition to reviving oversight mechanisms linked to the sanctions reimposed in 2025.

Thus, Day 183 opens with a picture that appears contradictory but is strategically coherent:

Washington is looking for a way to end the war, but first wants to make the terms of that ending harder for Iran — militarily in Hormuz, economically through sanctions, and diplomatically at the Security Council.

The end is moving closer to the political debate, but it has not yet reached the battlefield.