As officials again say Iran war could soon end, some Trump objectives are unfulfilled

By — Michelle L. Price, Associated Press Michelle L. Price, Associated Press Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/as-officials-again-say-iran-war-could-soon-end-some-trump-objectives-are-unfulfilled Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter As officials again say Iran war could soon end, some Trump objectives are unfulfilled Politics Jun 12, 2026 4:08 PM EDT WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said the U.S. is close to signing a deal with Iran to wind down the war, with a memorandum of understanding to be signed in the coming days. But some of the key objectives Trump laid out for the conflict seem to remain unfulfilled. And while the Trump administration has said its objectives are clear and unchanging, the list has expanded and shifted as the president and his administration have spoken about the war since it started Feb. 28. All the while, the conflict has battered the global economy, tested alliances and raised unanswered questions about the planning for the conflict, its justification and its aftermath. Educate your inbox Subscribe to Here’s the Deal, our politics newsletter for analysis you won’t find anywhere else. By most accounts, the strikes by the U.S. and Israel have significantly degraded Iran's military capabilities and killed scores of senior leaders. But those tactical successes don't necessarily translate into achieving all the president's strategic aims, even as the administration said Friday that it was meeting the goals it had laid out. Here's a look at the objectives laid out by Trump at various points since the outset of the war and what we know about where they stand: 1. Destroy Iran's ability to fire missiles One of the prime objectives laid out by the administration was to "destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground." Trump said in late March that Iran's missiles "are mostly decimated" and that 90% of their missiles and launchers were knocked out. By mid-May, that shifted to a more conservative estimate, with the president saying that 82% of Iran's missiles were gone. READ MORE: Trump is raising expectations that this time he really will close deal with Iran to wind down war Adm. Brad Cooper, the top U.S. military commander in the Middle East, told lawmakers in mid-May that Iran maintains a "very moderate if not small capability to continue strikes" in the region. Iran proved as recently as this week that it still had the ability to launch missiles when it attacked three Gulf allies of the U.S. 2. Destroy Iran's defense industrial base Early in the war, the president and his administration sometimes listed this as a standalone objective. Other times, it has fallen off their list. U.S. Central Command has said its targets for strikes in Iran have included weapons production and missile and drone manufacturing facilities. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in early June that Iran has had "massive destructi