Trump signals Iran war could end soon but gives mixed signals on how

[0:00] AMNA NAWAZ. [0:01] Welcome to the NewsHour. [0:02] The Trump administration is sending more military forces to the Middle East, while at the same [0:06] time claiming Iran has asked for a cease-fire, a claim Iranian officials say is not true. [0:12] Meanwhile, one month into the war, President Trump is scheduled to address the nation later [0:17] this evening. [0:18] He's expected to provide an update on the war effort and reiterate why he believes it [0:22] was necessary for the United States and Israel to attack Iran. [0:26] Nick Schifrin begins our coverage. [0:28] NICK SCHIFRIN, In downtown Tehran today, the smoky aftermath of strikes in and near [0:33] the former U.S. Embassy that for decades has been controlled by Iranian forces. [0:38] And the U.S. military continued to strike Iran's missiles, drones and defense industrial [0:43] base. [0:44] We're finishing the job, and I think within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer [0:49] to do the job. [0:50] NICK SCHIFRIN, The U.S. and Israeli strikes have led to the administration's [0:53] public confidence. [0:54] And we can see the finish line. [0:56] It's not today. [0:57] It's not tomorrow. [0:58] It's coming. [1:01] NICK SCHIFRIN, The positive rhetoric has rallied the markets and reduced oil prices. [1:08] But the reality is more relentless. [1:11] For the fifth time today, Israelis headed to their bomb shelters, after debris from [1:15] a shot-down Iranian missile crashed into an apartment outside Tel Aviv, leaving behind [1:20] a dusty baby stroller and rocker. [1:23] Independent researchers say Iran's daily missile launches, while reduced, are still as high [1:28] as dozens, despite one month of war. [1:31] And Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium... [1:33] NICK SCHIFRIN, ... remains inside Iran, even if it's believed buried under nuclear [1:37] sites attacked by the U.S. last year. [1:40] And the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps reiterated today that the Strait of Hormuz [1:43] remains quote, firmly and dominantly under its control. [1:47] Even modest estimates are that the reduction in oil and liquefied natural gas will stunt [1:52] many countries' economic growth, International Energy Agency Director Fatih Birol warned [1:57] today. [1:58] FATIH BIROL, Director, International Energy Agency, Iran, The loss of oil in April will [2:02] be twice the loss of oil in March. [2:07] On top of that, you have the LNG and others. [2:11] So it will come through, the inflation. [2:12] NICK SCHIFRIN, Given all that reality, today, President Trump reversed previous statements [2:17] about the Strait not being a core issue, and wrote on Truth Social that Iran asked for [2:21] a cease-fire and, quote, we will consider when Hormuz Strait is open, free and clear. [2:27] Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion, or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages. [2:31] NICK SCHIFRIN, Thank you. [2:32] FATIH BIROL, Iran's foreign ministry denied there were talks at all, as read out by a [2:36] state TV news anchor. [2:37] FATIH BIROL, Trump's statements about Iran's request for a cease-fire are false [2:44] and baseless. [2:45] NICK SCHIFRIN, And Iranian President Massoud Pazeshkian added in a letter addressed [2:49] to the American people, quote, throughout its millennia of proud history, Iran has outlasted [2:54] many aggressors. [2:55] All that remains of them are tarnished names in history. [2:59] But today, President Trump shrugged off Iran's public threats, telling Reuters, quote, we're [3:00] going to have a cease-fire. [3:01] NICK SCHIFRIN, Thank you. [3:02] FATIH BIROL, Thank you. [3:02] NICK SCHIFRIN, Thank you. [3:02] NICK SCHIFRIN, Thank you. [3:02] FATIH BIROL, Thank you. [3:03] NICK SCHIFRIN, Thank you. [3:04] NICK SCHIFRIN, Thank you. [3:04] FATIH BIROL, As Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed on Fox News last night. [3:04] FATIH BIROL, I'm dealing with a very good chance that we will make a deal because [3:07] they don't want to be blasted anymore. [3:09] He also said those blasts could resume even after the war ended. [3:13] Quote, I will leave, he said, and I will take everyone with me. [3:17] And if we have to, we will come back to do spot hits. [3:21] And he told multiple news outlets he was considering withdrawing the U.S. from the NATO alliance [3:26] because it hasn't supported the war in Iran, as Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed on [3:30] Fox News last night. [3:31] FATIH BIROL, We are going to have to reexamine. [3:32] NICK SCHIFRIN, Argentina, Iran. [3:32] examine whether or not this alliance that has served this country well for a while is [3:38] still serving that purpose, or has it now become a one-way street, where America is [3:42] simply in a position to defend Europe, but when we need the help of our allies, they're [3:47] going to deny us basing rights and they're going to deny us overflight? [3:49] NICK SCHIFRIN. [3:51] But back in 2023, then-Senator Marco Rubio pushed a bill that was signed by President [3:55] Biden into law that blocks a president from withdrawing from NATO without two-thirds of [4:00] the Senate approving. [4:01] Amna. [4:02] Tell us about the president's address tonight. [4:04] What exactly do we expect to hear from him? [4:05] AMNA NAWAZ. [4:06] A White House official tells my colleague, Liz Landers, the president is expected to [4:09] give an operational update on the war and reiterate once again what the administration [4:14] says has been consistent goals from the beginning of this war, destroying Iran's missile and [4:21] missile production, its Navy ending support for proxies and ending its ability to have [4:25] a nuclear weapon once and for all. [4:27] As one diplomat told me today, that is the speech that most presidents would have given [4:32] before the war, because that is essentially a case for the war itself. [4:36] And, as we pointed out in our package, the public emphasis from Rubio, from the president [4:42] on this is that the military operation is succeeding in Iran. [4:45] Iran's missile and drone inventory has definitely been reduced and its capacity to have it in [4:50] the future been reduced. [4:51] But the reality is that those missile strikes continue, especially on Israel, as we saw [4:56] today. [4:57] It still has what the president calls nuclear dust, the highly enriched uranium inside Iran. [5:01] AMNA NAWAZ. [5:02] And, of course, this stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz. [5:04] AMNA NAWAZ. [5:05] Speaking of the Strait of Hormuz, you mentioned there the efforts behind the scenes to try [5:08] to reopen that critical lane. [5:10] What do we know about what's going on? [5:11] DAVID BROOKS. [5:12] Yes. [5:13] So, in public, we have seen the president say, go get your own oil, and we might withdraw [5:16] from NATO because of what the Europeans haven't given us when it comes to this war. [5:21] But in reality, in private, the U.S. has been coordinating with European countries and the [5:27] Gulf for an operation that would secure the Strait, presumably after the war ends. [5:31] Or at least when a lot of the violence has reduced. [5:36] And as a reminder, this Strait is crucial for the world economy. [5:40] Twenty percent of the world's oil and natural gas usually flows through here. [5:44] But right now, it's been largely closed to any tankers other than those that Iran has [5:49] agreed to let pass. [5:51] And so three European officials, one U.S. official, and one regional official tell me [5:55] tonight that the plan is largely to create a global coalition that would escort tankers, [6:00] terrorists. [6:01] Or at least defend tankers as they go through the British, as they go through the Persian [6:06] Gulf. [6:07] The British government today announced summits of three dozen countries and senior military [6:11] officials in the coming days to coordinate that effort. [6:15] Now, Ahmed, this will not be easy. [6:16] There are not that many countries that actually have the naval assets to be able to send to [6:21] the Gulf to do this. [6:22] And so these countries tell me that they are certainly hoping that President Trump and [6:26] the U.S. would remain in the theater after the war is, quote, over, especially the Marine [6:31] Expeditionary Unit, the MEU, that is there right now. [6:35] They are capable of, for example, splitting up onto tankers. [6:38] You see the Marine Expeditionary Unit practicing there. [6:42] They can sail alongside tankers to help the effort. [6:44] They bring enormous capabilities that could help get these tankers through the Gulf and [6:48] alongside those Marines. [6:50] A U.S. military official confirms to me tonight that plane, the A-10, could help in this effort, [6:56] but also help in other efforts if the president chose to escalate this war in the coming weeks. [7:00] Meanwhile, that Strait of Hormuz is going to be the subject of a Security Council [7:03] resolution tomorrow. [7:05] What does that say? [7:06] The idea here is to give international legal authorization for that military effort [7:11] that I just described. [7:12] And according to a text that we obtained today, it says, quote, the resolution authorizes [7:18] member states acting nationally or through voluntary multinational naval partnerships [7:23] to use all necessary means, commensurate with the circumstances, to secure transit passage [7:29] and to deter attempts to close. [7:30] Obstruct or otherwise interfere with international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. [7:36] I'm told by one diplomat on the council even that language, which has been pared back, [7:40] is an uphill climb to get to the nine votes they will need for this passage for tomorrow. [7:46] But if it is, it would give Europe, it would give the Gulf the legal authorization to have [7:51] a military operation in the Gulf after the U.S. and Israel essentially declare the war [7:57] to be over in order to secure the Strait moving forward. [8:00] Nick Schifrin, beginning our coverage tonight. [8:02] Nick, thank you. [8:03] Thank you. [8:05] And you can tune in tonight at 9 p.m. Eastern for our special coverage of President [8:09] Trump's address to the nation on the war with Iran. [8:12] You can watch that here on your local PBS station or on our YouTube page or our website.