Trump Leaves Allies and Foes Guessing on Endgame for Iran (2)

March 16, 2026, 2:06 AM UTC

As the US-Israeli war on Iran enters its third week, pressure is growing on the person in the best position to end it: Donald Trump.

But the US president’s ever-shifting explanations for why he went to war leave friends and adversaries at a loss to forecast when he’ll be ready to stop. And even if he does, Iran has shown little willingness to go along. Trump has gone from declaring the war over soon to calling on European and Gulf allies to help. They’re reluctant, and the likes of Russia are benefiting.

The state of play was exemplified by ...

Learn more about Bloomberg Government or Log In to keep reading:

See Breaking News in Context

Providing news, analysis, data and opportunity insights.

Already a subscriber?

Log in to keep reading or access research tools and resources.