President Donald Trump has freed himself from deadlines to stop the war since he addressed Americans last Wednesday, comparing the durations of past wars fought by the United States, such as the World Wars, and the Korean, Vietnam, and Iraq Wars. He believes that preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons is worth today’s costs.

When Trump is convinced of his ability to "erase Iran in one night," he is surprised by the resistance of what he calls the "new regime" in Iran to his demands, foremost being an explicit declaration of not pursuing uranium enrichment and opening the Strait of Hormuz to international navigation unconditionally, as it was before the war.

As the U.S. and Iranian positions intensify, mediators’ hopes of convincing both parties to reach a compromise fade. Trump tells opponents of the war that it is possible to control Iranian oil, similar to the Venezuelan model, if given enough time, and that gasoline price increases won’t last long, and voters won’t abandon him in the midterm elections, even at the cost to their wallets.

The “total destruction” threatened by Trump, and Iran’s pledge to respond with “even more destruction,” effectively opens the “gates of hell” in the Middle East, with far-reaching global repercussions.

It seems Trump capitalized on the successful rescue of the second crew member of an F‑15 fighter jet from inside Iran to declare that the United States “has won,” and that Iran “was militarily defeated,” needing only hours to push it back decades.

The question remains, even before eight o’clock: where are things heading? Towards a further escalated phase that closes the diplomatic window, or giving it one last chance?

After eight, calculations enter a different phase, as the costs of options—and their outcomes—shift.