Following the United States and Israel's airstrikes on Iran on February 28, President Donald Trump outlined a broad array of goals, ranging from dismantling Iran's ballistic missile capabilities to ensuring the country never acquires nuclear weapons.
Over three months later, as the two nations reach a preliminary peace agreement, the question remains: What has Trump achieved?
Missiles and Drones
Prior to the conflict, Iran possessed the Middle East's largest stockpile of ballistic missiles, estimated at 2,500 to 6,000 missiles of various types.
Some were capable of reaching Israel with a range of up to 2,000 kilometers and carried warheads with cluster munitions, making them difficult to intercept.
Additionally, Iran was a significant producer of long-range drones, notably the Shahed attack drones, used by Russia against Ukraine and by Tehran itself.
About a month into the war, U.S. sources told Reuters that a third of Iran's arsenal was destroyed, with another third likely damaged, destroyed, or buried.
Admiral Brad Cooper informed Congress on May 14 that Iran’s ability to construct and store long-range missiles and drones was setback by years.
Conventional Military
The U.S. military claims it weakened Iran's conventional military power to project influence in the region or threaten U.S. operations.
Cooper reported to Congress that the U.S. military destroyed 161 Iranian naval vessels and disabled 82% of the country’s air defense systems.
Moreover, the Iranian Air Force, previously conducting up to 100 daily sorties, has ceased aerial operations entirely.
Despite this, Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz during the conflict, obstructing commercial vessels transporting a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas supplies through the use of speedboats, mines, drones, and missile-equipped boats.
Nuclear Program
Trump repeatedly emphasized preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon as a primary objective. Conversely, Tehran has consistently claimed its nuclear program is peaceful with no intention of creating a nuclear bomb.
The conflict, however, did not significantly alter Iran's nuclear capabilities.
U.S. intelligence last month estimated Iran would need less than a year to produce a nuclear weapon, maintaining the same timeline established after strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities in June 2025.
The Iranian nuclear program will be a critical issue for negotiators once the official signing of the framework agreement occurs on Friday.
Iran-Backed Militant Groups
On March 2, Trump stated in the White House that Tehran must be prevented from continuing to arm and fund allied militant factions in Iraq, Lebanon, Gaza, and Yemen. These groups have been used by Iran for decades to extend its influence and challenge its adversaries.
Since the war began, Iran has shown no inclination to halt support for these groups. However, U.S. military and independent assessments have found that Iran's "proxy" network is now significantly less effective than previously.
A substantial portion of this decline occurred before the war.
Israel had already killed many senior leaders of Hamas and thousands of its fighters in Gaza following the group's assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, and also eliminated numerous leaders of Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran further lost a crucial supply route to Hezbollah with the fall of former Syrian president Bashar al-Assad's regime. Economic sanctions and the financial strain Iran faces have also curtailed its ability to fund these organizations.
In May, Cooper told Congress that Iran can no longer reliably provide advanced weapons to these groups, without specifying what this entails.