President Donald Trump has suggested that the United States is "getting very close" to bringing its high-intensity military campaign against Iran to a close, presenting a five-point set of conditions to guide a strategic withdrawal from what he labeled "Operation Epic Fury." The comments were posted on Truth Social and framed as a roadmap for shifting from active offensive operations to a different security posture in the region.
According to the statement, the campaign has met its principal objectives of degrading Iran's missile capabilities and dismantling elements of its defense industrial base. Those conclusions, the President said, form the foundation for moving toward a wind-down once a set of criteria is satisfied.
Key phrases used in the post included that the U.S. is "getting very close" to concluding the operation and that the objective is the "eradication" of the Iranian threat across multiple domains.
The financial response was immediate. An exchange-traded fund tracking the S&P 500 rose 0.9% in U.S. postmarket trading as investors adjusted expectations for the regional "war premium" that had been factored into asset prices.
The President's five-point roadmap emphasizes a comprehensive neutralization of Iran's military capabilities. It specifically calls for the complete elimination of Iran's naval and air forces, including its anti-aircraft systems. The plan also stresses that the United States must retain the ability to "quickly and powerfully react" to any future nuclear ambitions, with the explicit aim of preventing Tehran from approaching weapons-grade enrichment capability.
In tandem with those security demands, the statement underlines a continued U.S. commitment to protecting regional partners at the "highest level," naming Israel, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE as countries the United States intends to shield.
A notable policy shift highlighted in the announcement concerns maritime security. The President argued that, because the United States is no longer a primary consumer of the Strait of Hormuz for its energy supplies, the responsibility for protecting and policing the chokepoint should fall to the nations that rely on it. He framed future operations as a transition from U.S.-led guardianship to a localized security model, suggesting that once the Iranian military threat is neutralized, multinational policing of the strait would be an "easy operation." The post also said the U.S. would provide assistance "if asked," and described this approach as one that allows Washington to lean on a "shale buffer" and its energy independence.
For global markets, the proposed transition marks a shift in the geopolitical risk picture. The emphasis moves away from the immediacy of missile strikes and direct combat toward the longer-term, structural costs and responsibilities associated with securing a vital energy corridor. That change in emphasis was reflected by the S&P 500 tracker’s postmarket gain, as investors priced in the possibility of reduced active hostilities and a different, more regionalized form of security management.
Summary of developments
- President announced the U.S. is "getting very close" to ending "Operation Epic Fury" and set five criteria for withdrawal.
- He said campaign goals of degrading missile capabilities and destroying parts of Iran's defense industrial base have been achieved.
- An ETF tracking the S&P 500 rose 0.9% in U.S. postmarket trading following the announcement.