Trump explains why he is avoiding a return to full-scale war with Iran

President Trump revealed early Tuesday why he had avoided a return to full-scale war with Iran, claiming the crisis over the Strait of Hormuz would last far longer without a deal with Tehran.

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“If we go and bomb — which we can do very easily if we want to— and we spend another two or three weeks bombing, they’ll have nothing left whatsoever,” he said. “But you won’t have the strait open for months. If we do the bombing, a lot of people are going to be killed.”

“Who wants to do that? I don’t,” he added, speaking to reporters after the Monday night Knicks game.Trump’s calculus now could change with Iran taking down a US helicopter and Trump vowing to respond in some fashion. 

The US has previously tried to reopen the strait on its own, but the endeavor was short-lived. Trump on May 4 launched an operation — dubbed “Project Freedom” — that would have seen the US reopening the strait through military force. 

The president called it off the next day at the behest of Gulf states that were concerned Iran would begin targeting their oil and gas infrastructure in retaliation.

Regional sources also said Gulf nations felt that the US would not be able to protect them from Iranian attack — particularly swarms of drones that Iran is prone to use and could slip through traditional defenses.

At the time, Trump claimed in a Truth Social post that the Gulf states felt a deal was close — but it’s since been a month and Iran has continued to target regional infrastructure.

Those strikes — such as last week’s targeting of US forces in Kuwait that ultimately killed a Kuwaiti civilian and injured dozens others — have come in retaliation to US operations in the strait, including a covert, remote operation to guide ships through, as well as the ongoing blockade of Iranian ports.

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The US has been quietly helping advise dozens of shipping vessels on how to get through the oil chokepoint without hitting Iranian mines or being detected.

But Trump reassured reporters that an agreement with Iran to reopen the strait diplomatically is coming soon, describing it as a “very, very good, strong, powerful deal.”

Iran, meanwhile, is requiring fees for commercial ships that want to cross through the strait — and targeting those that don’t pay. 

They have previously indicated no willingness to drop the charges, while the US continues to demand that strait passage be toll-free.

Trump has repeatedly stated the US and Iran are close to a deal since April, when Iranian and American leaders held peace talks in Islamabad.

A review by The Post found the president had made the claim at least 37 times since the start of the Iran war on Feb. 28, 2026, in statements on Truth Social and to reporters.

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