When the Iran war began on February 28, President Donald Trump proclaimed that the US military would “destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground.”
“It will be totally, again, obliterated,” Trump declared in a video.
In the days that followed, his administration cast the obliteration of Iran’s missile program as a paramount goal for the war, given the threat that they said it posed to US bases and allies in the region.
But now that Trump has a preliminary agreement with Iran, he’s sounding a very different note. Appearing at a press conference Wednesday at the end of the G7 summit in France, Trump suggested it was only fair that Iran be allowed some missiles.
“They have to have some, because other people have some,” Trump said. He added that “missiles aren’t the problem” because “they don’t blow up the planet.”
The president doubled down later, saying: “In relative proportion, I think it’s OK.”
It was a remarkable about-face from Trump on what had been one of his biggest stated goals for the war. And it was far from the only reversal.
In his apparent desperation to cut a deal to get out of the war, Trump has scaled back, set aside or abandoned nearly all of his biggest goals.
Trump’s goals have long been a moving target. His administration often listed four goals, but those four goal regularly varied, depending on who was talking and when. And Trump often didn’t seem to have a true north star when it came to what he wanted to accomplish.
Here are some of the biggest goals he set and where they stand, according to his latest comments and the 14-point memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Iran, which includes significantly more concessions to Tehran than vice versa.
The goal: “We’re going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated.” – Trump on February 28
The latest: By late March, the goal was scaled back to “dramatically reduce” Iran’s missile program.
Today, the MOU doesn’t even mention missiles, which Iran declared to be a red line in negotiations. And Trump signaled Wednesday that Iran would be allowed to have some.
The goal: “There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” – Trump on social media on March 6
The latest: Soon after, Trump appeared to give up on this goal by pushing for negotiations. Now there is an initial agreement that makes extensive concessions to Iran — and many, including on the right, say it’s more of a US surrender than an Iranian one.
The goal: “When we’re finished, take over your government”; “It’ll be yours to take”; “This is the moment for action. Do not let it pass.” – Trump on February 28
The latest: This goal also quickly subsided, when it became clear the Iranian people were not taking Trump’s cue. The president has occasionally insisted that the fact that Iranian leaders were killed in the war represents a form of regime change, but the new supreme leader is the former supreme leader’s son. And Trump claimed Wednesday, “I didn’t do this for regime change.”
The goal: “We will ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon. It’s a very simple message: They will never have a nuclear weapon.” – Trump on February 28
The latest: This one is very much to be determined. The MOU declares that Iran “reaffirms that it shall not procure or develop nuclear weapons.” But Tehran has always maintained it is not pursuing them. And there is very little indication about what kind of terms might be agreed to that would truly stamp out the threat forevermore.
The goal: “There will be no enrichment of Uranium” – Trump on social media on April 8. “We want no enrichment” – Trump on March 23
The latest: Very similarly to the missile-related goal, Trump has also seemed to back off this. He has indicated Iran would be allowed to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. “It’s a little hard when other people have it, other adjoining states have it, and you’re not letting them have it for purposes of electricity and things like that,” he said Wednesday. “You have to use a little common sense.”
He had told the New York Times earlier this month that Iran could enrich at low levels but that it “could never be used by the military.”
The goal: “We also want the enriched uranium. … We’re going down, and we’ll take it ourselves.” – Trump on March 23
The latest: This is another unknown, but the MOU appears to come up shy of Trump’s goal. The MOU says that the two sides “agreed to resolve the disposition of stockpiled enriched material pursuant to a mechanism that will be mutually agreed upon.” But it also indicates the uranium will be “down blended” rather than seized — i.e. “be down blended on site under the supervision of the” International Atomic Energy Agency.
And on Wednesday, Trump told reporters that destroying Iran’s nuclear stockpile is “much less important” than preventing Iran from having a nuclear weapon.
“It’s much less important, because it’s very hard to get at that,” he said.
The goal: “The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused … (including) destroy their navy and other security infrastructure” – Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on March 2
The latest: Iran’s Navy was largely wiped out in the war’s early days. Iran does, however, retain significant asymmetric capabilities to control the Strait of Hormuz, including via drones, mines and small attack boats known as “fast boats.”
Preventing funding of proxy groups like Hezbollah and Hamas
The goal: “And finally, we’re ensuring that the Iranian regime cannot continue to arm, fund and direct terrorist armies outside of their borders.” – Trump on March 2
The latest: The administration largely stopped talking about this for a while, and the MOU contains no language about Iran’s support for Hezbollah, Hamas or other proxy groups. In fact, the MOU appears to benefit Hezbollah by purporting to end fighting in Lebanon, where Israel is striking Hezbollah. Trump said Wednesday that in further negotiations, “we’ll talk also about the terrorist proxies that they have.” It’s also worth noting that the MOU immediately frees up Iran to sell oil, which Trump’s State Department has linked to Iran’s financing of these groups.
The goal: “We want it open. We want it free. We don’t want tolls. It’s an international waterway. They’re not charging tolls.” – Trump on March 21. “Permanently toll-free” – Trump to the New York Times on Sunday
The latest: The MOU says Iran will use “its best efforts” to ensure “the safe passage of commercial vessels with no charge, for 60 days only, from the Persian Gulf to the Sea of Oman and vice versa.”
But that clause “for 60 days only” clearly comes up shy of Trump’s goal, at least for now. And Iran is signaling it intends to charge “fees.”
“Iran has sovereign rights in the Strait of Hormuz, and naturally, we will charge for the services,” Iran’s parliament speaker and key negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, said this week, according to Al Jazeera.
