Trump Reverses on Iran Victory, Signaling Potential Strikes in 2025's Final Days

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump upended his administration’s victory narrative on Iran Monday, warning that Tehran is reconstructing its nuclear infrastructure. The reversal comes just six months after the White House declared Iran’s capabilities "obliterated," explicitly reopening the door to U.S. military action before the New Year.

"I hear Iran is trying to build up again," Trump stated. The comment serves as a tacit admission that the June 22 airstrikes—previously hailed as a "spectacular military success"—failed to permanently neutralize the Islamic Republic's enrichment potential.

For market observers, the timing is precise and perilous. With only days remaining in 2025, the pivot introduces extreme volatility regarding the prospect of a second wave of kinetic engagement. Under the formalized "Maximum Pressure" doctrine, confirmed nuclear reconstruction constitutes a red line. This forces the White House into a binary choice in the year's waning hours: accept a resurgent nuclear threat or authorize immediate military intervention to enforce the doctrine.

The "Mission Accomplished" Reversal The current tensions represent a stark pivot from the summer’s narrative. Following the U.S.-Israeli operation against Fordow and Natanz, the President declared Iran’s capacity "completely and totally obliterated."

However, the abrupt shift suggests a significant intelligence gap. Sources indicate Iranian engineers may have dispersed critical assets or initiated clandestine reconstruction faster than anticipated. This resurgence effectively extinguishes any remaining probability of a diplomatic breakthrough in 2025, shifting the focus entirely to regime survival and containment.

Accelerating Conflict The President’s comments track with a grim assessment from Moscow delivered just 24 hours prior. On Sunday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov noted that while Tehran had shown "maximum restraint" post-June, the conflict's trajectory had "accelerated" in recent weeks.

The convergence of Lavrov’s warning and Trump’s new intelligence claim suggests the window for a static stalemate has closed. The risk profile for a second U.S. military action before 2026 has spiked to its highest point since the summer.