‘A Real End, Not a Ceasefire’: Trump Reveals His Endgame for Israel-Iran War
As the direct military conflict between Israel and Iran entered its fifth day with escalating strikes and a rising death toll, US President Donald Trump has articulated a clear and ambitious endgame: not merely a pause in hostilities, but a definitive end to the war.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One after his early departure from the G7 Summit in Canada, Trump dismissed the idea of a temporary truce. “We’re looking at better than a ceasefire,” he said, clarifying his goal was “A real end. Not a ceasefire. An end.”
His remarks came amid a dramatic escalation that has killed at least 224 people in Iran and 24 in Israel. On Tuesday, Iranian state media reported fresh explosions over Tehran and Natanz, while Israel’s military claimed it had killed Iran’s wartime chief of staff, Ali Shadmani, in an overnight strike and had conducted major operations against weapons depots and missile sites in western Iran.
President Trump has firmly linked his objective to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. “Right now, we’re doing pretty well. Remember, Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,” he stated, reiterating a consistent US red line. This was preceded by an alarming post on his Truth Social platform urging the “immediate evacuation” of Tehran.
The US President also hinted at a potential diplomatic track, suggesting he “may” send senior American officials, such as Vice President JD Vance or Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, to engage with Iran. However, he also maintained a tough stance, telling CBS that “Nobody’s slowed up so far” and warning Iran against targeting US assets.
The statement adds another layer of intrigue to his early departure from the G7 summit, which he insisted had “nothing to do with a Cease Fire” and was for a “Much bigger” reason, a claim he made while refuting French President Emmanuel Macron’s speculation.
Meanwhile, Iran has been pursuing its own diplomatic channels, reportedly urging Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to press Washington to secure an immediate ceasefire from Israel. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi stated that without a “total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue.”
The intensifying conflict has sparked global alarm, with China advising its citizens to leave Israel as soon as possible due to the worsening security situation.
