The US administration has begun discussing the parameters of a possible deal with Tehran, seeking to limit the scale of hostilities and redirect the standoff toward diplomacy. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources in the White House, Washington expects a significant breakthrough in the negotiating process in the coming days. Pakistan remains the primary venue for contact, where the parties are attempting to find a compromise capable of halting the escalation in the Middle East. According to US media reports, Donald Trump initially viewed the military campaign merely as a powerful instrument of pressure designed to alter the global balance of power, but he has consistently rejected any proposals that could lead to unjustifiably high casualties among US military personnel.

A telling moment in the American president's strategy was his categorical rejection of plans to seize and establish control over the strategically important Iranian island of Kharg. Trump argued that American soldiers on the island would become easy targets for Iranian forces, which was unacceptable in the context of the current operation. At the same time, the head of state expressed strong dissatisfaction with the position of his European allies, accusing them of insufficient support after the downing of the American plane and the death of the pilots. Despite the harsh rhetoric, the operation is viewed within the administration as a success, as the main goal—containment of the Iranian nuclear program—was achieved through targeted strikes on infrastructure, the effectiveness of which the president monitored in real time.