“The live feed from the White House announced that the war in the Middle East is “close to over,” a headline that would have seemed a welcome end to a decade‑long conflict.”

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Trump Declares War “Close to Over” as U.S. Tightens Sanctions on Iran

While the former president touts a ceasefire, Washington simultaneously ramps up economic pressure, deepening uncertainty for allies and the domestic political establishment.

The live feed from the White House announced that the war in the Middle East is “close to over,” a headline that would have seemed a welcome end to a decade‑long conflict. Yet just minutes later, Treasury officials disclosed a new tranche of sanctions targeting Iranian oil and financial infrastructure, a move that effectively turns the ceasefire into a pause in the face of a hardening economic front