Trump sets red line on Iran war: No full escalation unless US troops die

U.S. President Donald Trump has privately told aides he will not resume full-scale war with Iran unless American troops are killed, the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Multiple U.S. officials said Trump recently told his staff he would consider ending the truce if Iranian attacks resulted in American military deaths.

The disclosure effectively sets the death of U.S. troops as a red line for breaking the ceasefire, signaling that Trump is prepared to tolerate lower-level armed conflict short of that threshold.

Despite sporadic clashes in recent weeks, Trump holds that the suspension of airstrikes — in place for several weeks — remains in effect.

The Journal said Trump's cautious posture "suggests he is willing to endure weeks or months of limited conflict to prevent the situation from escalating into a larger war in the Middle East."

In practice, the United States and Iran have continued to exchange intermittent fire since the truce took effect in early April, and tensions have risen sharply of late.

Iran launched missile and drone strikes this week targeting U.S. military bases in the region and Kuwait International Airport, killing one person.

The United States struck back but described its response as defensive and said it did not constitute a resumption of full-scale war.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio told a House hearing Thursday that the U.S. action was "in response to Iran's behavior," adding: "If they don't shoot at our ships, we won't shoot at theirs — but we have to respond."

Washington has drawn a clear line against full escalation while also signaling it is in no rush to conclude a peace deal.

The United States has been pursuing a memorandum of understanding that would extend the ceasefire with Iran by 60 days and use that window to advance denuclearization negotiations. Trump rejected Iran's latest proposal last week, the Journal reported.

Trump has insisted Iran must make substantive concessions first, while Iran says it will not enter nuclear program negotiations until the United States releases frozen Iranian assets or provides economic compensation — leaving the two sides at an impasse.

The standoff puts Trump at a crossroads between pursuing an early end-of-war agreement and maintaining prolonged pressure, the Journal said.

Steven Cook, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, said Iran "is showing a willingness to endure pain and has not yet capitulated," adding: "As a result, Trump finds himself in a difficult position."

Suzanne Maloney, deputy director of the Brookings Institution, said the Iran war "looks like the first real impasse facing a Trump administration that prefers shows of force and high-stakes gambles."