5 scenarios for how the Iran war could end

"Ending Iran's nuclear weapons program has been one of Trump's key stated objectives since Operation Epic Fury began. Iran and the U.S. held three rounds of indirect nuclear talks in Geneva just days before the war started, but Trump's envoys ultimately determined Tehran was not serious about a deal. Trump told Fox News Monday that renewed talks are 'possible,' but that he's disappointed by the selection of hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his late father as supreme leader."

"Trump has pointed to Venezuela - where the U.S. captured President Nicolás Maduro in January and established a working relationship with his successor, Vice President Delcy Rodríguez - as a template for Iran. Trump said Monday he thinks Iran 'made a big mistake' with Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment, and suggested the new supreme leader may not last."

"The regime has survived 47 years of sanctions, wars and internal uprisings - entrenching itself with military, religious and political institutions designed to outlast any single leader. Beyond just geography, the Iran-Venezuela comparison has significant limits. Experts say treating them as equivalent misunderstands the Islamic Republic's power structure."

The Trump administration is conducting intensive military operations against Iran while simultaneously considering multiple pathways to end the conflict. Trump has stated the U.S. has already won the war but needs to win more, while Defense Secretary Hegseth announced escalating strike intensity. Five potential scenarios for resolution include: a negotiated ceasefire with nuclear deal, regime change following a Venezuela model, and other unspecified options. Prior indirect nuclear talks in Geneva failed when Trump's envoys deemed Iran insincere. Trump expressed disappointment with Iran's selection of hardliner Mojtaba Khamenei as supreme leader and suggested renewed negotiations are possible. However, experts caution that comparing Iran to Venezuela oversimplifies the Islamic Republic's entrenched institutional power structure, which has survived decades of sanctions and internal challenges.

Read at Axios