President Donald Trump is privately discussing with senior aides whether to declare the U.S. war with Iran over, even as the Pentagon extends troop deployments into 2027 and the conflict continues to disrupt shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The apparent contradiction underscores the uncertainty surrounding the administration’s strategy.

Trump has told advisers he favors declaring an end to the war and believes the combination of economic pressure and U.S. military dominance has put Washington in a winning position.

The Journal reported that Trump has argued Iran’s economy is collapsing and that U.S. forces have achieved “almost total control” of the Strait of Hormuz.

Yet the Pentagon is preparing for the possibility that the fighting and military standoff will continue well into next year.

War Secretary Pete Hegseth, who initially promised a quick and decisive campaign, is quietly extending deployments, the Journal reported.

About 50,000 U.S. troops remain in the region, while the military deployment includes 19 warships, air defense units, fighter squadrons, and paratroopers. The prolonged deployment is already creating strain on service members, their families, and military maintenance schedules.

The debate over whether the United States has truly “won” is particularly visible in the Strait of Hormuz.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has argued that oil flows are approaching prewar levels. In an interview published Wednesday, Bessent said at least 10 million barrels a day were moving through the strait and suggested that one recent day may have reached 15 million to 17 million barrels.

He compared that with roughly 20 million barrels a day before the war.

But shipping data paint a more complicated picture. Reuters reported that only six commodity vessels passed through Hormuz on Wednesday, while preliminary data earlier in the week showed just five vessels on Monday. Those figures remain far below normal commercial traffic.

Other maritime data show traffic has increased from the extreme lows reached during the conflict but remains well below prewar levels.

The distinction matters because some vessels are believed to be using a U.S.-backed southern route through waters near Oman, while others are avoiding the strait altogether.

Iran has continued threatening and, in some cases, attacking commercial shipping. The attacks could become more dangerous if Tehran receives improved intelligence, targeting assistance, or other military support from Russia or China, although the extent of any such assistance remains uncertain.

Oil markets also reflect that uncertainty. Brent crude fell sharply after the June U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding raised hopes that the conflict could wind down, reaching about $69 a barrel in early July. But after the arrangement broke down and attacks resumed, prices climbed, with Brent reaching about $105 on July 23.

By Thursday, Brent remained around $95 a barrel despite a modest daily decline.

For Trump, that leaves a difficult political and military calculation: Washington can argue that it controls the waterway and has devastated Iran’s economy, while the continuing troop deployment, limited commercial traffic, and elevated oil prices suggest the war is far from behaving like a conflict that has simply ended.

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