President Trump trades maximalist war aims for concessions as the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran enters its seventh month

President Trump has transitioned from maximalist objectives to seeking terms that are inferior to the prewar status quo, while the Iranian regime maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz. The administration announced that it did not foresee Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz to impose costs on the United States, despite decades of war games. The administration also launched the war without consulting transatlantic allies, resulting in major NATO allies refusing to send minesweepers into the strait. Furthermore, the administration was unprepared to evacuate its own citizens, issuing departure advisories only two days after strikes began. The war has been impacted by the administration's decision to gut the National Security Council and the Defense Department. The administration replaced many career professionals with outside advisors and less experienced leaders, such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. These purges resulted in a lack of policy coordination and a lack of attainable objectives.