US President Donald Trump has decided to abandon a large-scale military operation to seize Iran's Kharg Island, a key hub for the Islamic Republic's oil exports. According to The Wall Street Journal, citing informed sources in the White House, the American leader expressed serious concern about the potential level of personnel casualties. Trump explicitly told his entourage that if American troops landed on the island, they could become "easy targets" for Iranian defense forces. Amid these concerns, the president's team is increasingly voicing the view that continuing the war is becoming politically risky and that the conflict must be concluded as soon as possible to avoid destabilizing the administration's approval ratings.

According to the newspaper's sources, back in late March, the president instructed his diplomatic team to urgently find channels for initiating direct dialogue with Tehran. Throughout the conflict, Trump regularly demanded that his advisers "push the Iranians toward a deal," using military force merely as a tool to strengthen his negotiating position. Those close to the president are convinced that even the most strident statements and ultimatums, including the resonant threat of "destroying Iranian civilization," were part of a psychological pressure tactic. Sources emphasize that such phrases were not part of a pre-agreed national security plan, but rather a personal improvisation by Trump, who was deliberately trying to appear as unstable and unpredictable as possible to his adversaries.

One of the president's key decisions was his rejection of European mediation in the settlement process. Instead of traditional Western partners, Trump chose Pakistan as his primary negotiating platform, believing this would be more effective in achieving a quick result. Meanwhile, the atmosphere within the White House remains extremely tense, especially following the downing of the American jet over Iranian territory. The search for the missing pilots became one of the most critical moments for the administration, finally convincing the president of the need to quickly transition from military action to diplomatic agreements. Washington's current strategy is now entirely focused on converting military pressure into a favorable peace treaty, preventing the United States from being drawn further into a protracted and bloody war.