The Guardian view on the Iran war: energy, markets and a dangerous illusion | Editorial

Trump's "pause" in fighting with Iran is not a ceasefire—Iranian and US-led strikes continued across the region on Tuesday, with the White House narrowing US military targets to exclude Iranian energy infrastructure in an attempt to stabilize global markets. The administration is simultaneously waging military operations while seeking a diplomatic exit, but lacks a credible political endgame to achieve one. Financial markets are pricing in a quick resolution, yet without a unified strategy or clear terms for ending the conflict, that assumption appears to rest on an illusion. Reports suggest the US is considering deploying ground forces even as it pursues negotiations, a contradiction that underscores the absence of coherent war aims. The Guardian editorial argues that Trump cannot deliver a rapid exit without first establishing a realistic political framework for resolution.