Military officials have included options in regular war planning for US President Donald Trump to end the conflict in Iran if he decides to do so, six people familiar with the plans told NBC News on Monday.
According to the report, Trump has not yet chosen to pursue those options.
As the conflict widens in the Middle East and the Iranian regime maintains its chokehold on the critical Strait of Hormuz, the terms and timeline for ending the war remain unclear.
Some aides and allies have pushed the President toward an exit strategy due to concerns about global economic instability since the war began, two of the people said. Others have argued the conflict presents an opportunity to weaken the Iranian regime’s influence in the region.
One person familiar with the planning said the timeline for the war “could change every day."
The sources said potential off-ramps are included in daily war planning, alongside options for further escalation if the White House decides to increase pressure on Iran. They did not provide details about the specific plans.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump and the Pentagon initially estimated the operation could take between four and six weeks.
“The US military is doing a tremendous job and this timeline remains true. Ultimately, the operation will end when the commander in chief determines the goals have been fully realized and the threats posed by Iran have been eliminated," she said.
Exit strategies have gained increased attention as the administration faces rising oil prices and uncertainty about whether Iran will agree to US conditions to end the war.
Last week, Trump told Axios the war will “end soon". On Friday, when asked when he would know the conflict had ended, Trump told Fox News, “When I feel it in my bones."
Trump also told NBC News over the weekend that Iran was ready to end the war but said “the terms aren’t good enough yet." He did not specify what those terms would be, though he has publicly suggested regime change, “unconditional surrender," and the destruction of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
On Monday, Trump told reporters that he does not believe the war in Iran will end this week but it will be “wrapped up soon".
Meanwhile, the United States carried out a major bombing campaign targeting sites on Kharg Island, home to the main terminal handling Iran’s oil exports. Trump warned that the island’s oil infrastructure could also be targeted.
Axios reported on Sunday that Trump is weighing the possibility of seizing Iran’s critical oil depot on Kharg Island if oil tankers remain trapped in the Persian Gulf.