— Update: According to a Washington Post report, President Trump is privately considering announcing an end to the war with Iran and is supporting this idea, while he has told his assistants that he believes that sustained economic pressure could ultimately push Iran to dismantle its nuclear program or collapse.

At the same time, Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, has secretly extended the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Middle East until 2027, with around 50,000 soldiers kept in the region to give Trump military flexibility as he pursues his economic campaign.

These long-term deployments have put sustained pressure on U.S. forces and caused delays in maintenance, especially among air defense units and Navy personnel.