This Weekend | Trump Considers “Winding Down War”, US Pauses Sanctions on Iranian Oil

This broadcast segment from Bloomberg "This Weekend" details the complex and often contradictory messaging from the Trump administration regarding the escalating conflict with Iran. It highlights President Trump's public statements about winding down military efforts, juxtaposed with Pentagon requests for increased funding and ongoing military deployments. The segment also explores the broader implications for global energy markets, particularly oil and natural gas prices, and touches upon diplomatic efforts and challenges in securing key waterways like the Strait of Hormuz. Additionally, it briefly covers other news items, including the impact of severe flooding in Hawaii, Elon Musk's legal troubles, and the ongoing government shutdown's effect on air travel.

The Core Conflict: Mixed Signals on War and Peace

The central theme of the broadcast is the conflicting messages emanating from the White House regarding the conflict with Iran [00:04, 01:29, 04:57, 05:00, 09:11, 09:31, 16:32, 49:56, 50:00, 53:15, 53:25, 53:40, 54:01, 54:07, 54:29, 54:44, 55:14, 01:04:22, 01:04:34, 01:04:43, 01:05:04, 01:05:06, 01:05:09, 01:09:03, 01:11:36, 01:16:10, 01:16:22, 01:17:39, 01:37:01, 01:38:03, 01:38:36, 01:39:02, 01:39:42, 01:41:11, 01:41:40, 01:41:53, 01:42:07, 01:42:15, 01:42:25, 01:42:40, 01:42:45, 01:42:48, 01:43:18, 01:44:21, 01:44:35, 01:44:52, 01:57:03, 01:57:19, 01:57:32, 01:57:45, 01:57:49, 01:58:10, 01:58:16, 01:58:19, 01:58:23, 01:58:30, 01:58:36, 01:58:43, 01:59:01, 01:59:04, 01:59:08, 01:59:10, 01:59:13, 01:59:20, 01:59:23, 01:59:27, 01:59:30, 01:59:36, 01:59:40, 01:59:46, 01:59:50, 01:59:53, 01:59:57, 02:00:02, 02:00:06, 02:00:12, 02:00:17, 02:00:24, 02:00:27, 02:00:29, 02:00:34, 02:00:36, 02:00:42, 02:00:48, 02:00:54, 02:00:58, 02:01:01, 02:01:05, 02:01:09, 02:01:14, 02:01:18, 02:01:23, 02:01:27, 02:01:31, 02:01:38, 02:01:41, 02:01:44, 02:01:47, 02:01:51, 02:01:53, 02:01:56, 02:01:58, 02:02:03, 02:02:10, 02:02:11, 02:02:18, 02:02:21, 02:02:23, 02:02:26, 02:02:30, 02:02:33, 02:02:36, 02:02:41, 02:02:44, 02:02:50, 02:02:53, 02:02:56, 02:03:01, 02:03:07, 02:03:11, 02:03:14, 02:03:18, 02:03:23, 02:03:29, 02:03:32, 02:03:35, 02:03:37, 02:03:43, 02:03:47, 02:03:48, 02:03:53, 02:04:11, 02:04:20, 02:04:26, 02:04:31, 02:04:36, 02:04:39, 02:04:43, 02:04:49, 02:04:52, 02:05:01, 02:05:06, 02:05:09, 02:05:13, 02:05:16, 02:05:18, 02:05:22, 02:05:25, 02:05:27, 02:05:32, 02:05:34, 02:05:40, 02:05:41, 02:05:50, 02:05:54, 02:05:56, 02:05:59, 02:06:03, 02:06:05, 02:06:06, 02:06:12, 02:06:17, 02:06:21, 02:06:23, 02:06:28, 02:06:30, 02:06:32, 02:06:37, 02:06:39, 02:06:42, 02:06:47, 02:06:48, 02:06:52, 02:06:58, 02:07:01, 02:07:05, 02:07:06, 02:07:11, 02:07:14, 02:07:20, 02:07:22, 02:07:24, 02:07:29, 02:07:32, 02:07:33, 02:07:37, 02:07:43, 02:08:06, 02:08:29, 02:08:31, 02:08:35, 02:08:41, 02:08:48, 02:08:55, 02:08:57, 02:09:00, 02:09:04, 02:09:09, 02:09:11, 02:09:13, 02:09:17, 02:09:21, 02:09:25, 02:09:29, 02:09:31, 02:09:37, 02:09:38, 02:09:42, 02:09:45, 02:09:49, 02:09:50, 02:09:55, 02:09:58, 02:10:03, 02:10:05, 02:10:06, 02:10:08, 02:10:11, 02:10:18, 02:10:20, 02:10:23, 02:10:26, 02:10:32, 02:10:36, 02:10:39, 02:10:41, 02:10:43, 02:10:47, 02:10:48, 02:10:51, 02:11:00, 02:11:02, 02:11:03, 02:11:10, 02:11:11, 02:11:14, 02:11:20, 02:11:21, 02:11:26, 02:11:27, 02:11:29, 02:11:33, 02:11:36, 02:11:39, 02:11:42, 02:11:47, 02:11:51, 02:11:54, 02:11:57, 02:12:02, 02:12:04, 02:12:05, 02:12:13, 02:12:14, 02:12:18, 02:12:20, 02:12:23, 02:12:25, 02:12:26, 02:12:30, 02:12:32, 02:12:35, 02:12:37, 02:12:40, 02:12:45, 02:12:47, 02:12:48, 02:12:50, 02:12:53, 02:12:57, 02:13:00, 02:13:02, 02:13:05, 02:13:08, 02:13:12, 02:13:13, 02:13:18, 02:13:21, 02:13:26, 02:13:30, 02:13:35, 02:13:38, 02:13:40, 02:13:44, 02:13:47, 02:13:50, 02:13:53, 02:13:56, 02:14:00, 02:14:02, 02:14:06, 02:14:08, 02:14:11, 02:14:14, 02:14:20, 02:14:21, 02:14:27, 02:14:30, 02:14:35, 02:14:39, 02:14:44, 02:14:49, 02:14:52, 02:14:55, 02:14:59, 02:15:01, 02:15:04, 02:15:08, 02:15:14, 02:15:16, 02:15:17, 02:15:26, 02:15:28, 02:15:32, 02:15:34, 02:15:36, 02:15:38, 02:15:43, 02:15:47, 02:15:49, 02:15:53, 02:15:55, 02:16:01, 02:16:02, 02:16:07, 02:16:12, 02:16:16, 02:16:18, 02:16:23, 02:16:24, 02:16:30, 02:16:31, 02:16:36, 02:16:41, 02:16:42, 02:16:47, 02:16:48, 02:17:07, 02:17:09, 02:17:10, 02:17:18, 02:17:21, 02:17:25, 02:17:27, 02:17:31, 02:17:35, 02:17:39, 02:17:41, 02:17:45, 02:17:46, 02:17:49, 02:17:52, 02:17:56, 02:17:58, 02:17:59, 02:18:01, 02:18:03, 02:18:06, 02:18:09, 02:18:11, 02:18:18, 02:18:19, 02:18:24, 02:18:27, 02:18:30, 02:18:35, 02:18:37, 02:18:40, 02:18:42, 02:18:45, 02:18:49, 02:18:54, 02:18:55, 02:18:59, 02:19:03, 02:19:05, 02:19:10, 02:19:12, 02:19:17, 02:19:21, 02:19:23, 02:19:27, 02:19:29, 02:19:30, 02:19:34, 02:19:38, 02:19:40, 02:19:44, 02:19:48, 02:19:49, 02:19:57, 02:19:59, 02:20:03, 02:20:05, 02:20:09, 02:20:12, 02:20:14, 02:20:17, 02:20:21, 02:20:24, 02:20:27, 02:20:31, 02:20:35, 02:20:36, 02:20:42, 02:20:43, 02:20:47, 02:20:48, 02:20:53, 02:20:56, 02:20:59, 02:21:03, 02:21:06, 02:21:10, 02:21:14, 02:21:17, 02:21:21, 02:21:23, 02:21:25, 02:21:29, 02:21:32, 02:21:37, 02:21:40, 02:21:46, 02:21:48, 02:21:52, 02:21:53, 02:22:00, 02:22:04, 02:22:08, 02:22:15, 02:22:16, 02:22:20, 02:22:26, 02:22:29, 02:22:32, 02:22:37, 02:22:41, 02:22:43, 02:22:47, 02:22:52, 02:23:07, 02:23:13, 02:23:18, 02:23:23, 02:23:26, 02:23:32, 02:23:37, 02:23:41, 02:23:44, 02:23:46, 02:23:52, 02:23:55, 02:23:58, 02:24:03, 02:24:08, 02:24:10, 02:24:19, 02:24:21, 02:24:31, 02:24:35, 02:24:41, 02:24:47, 02:24:54, 02:24:55, 02:25:01, 02:25:08, 02:25:10, 02:25:14, 02:25:16, 02:25:20, 02:25:22, 02:25:29, 02:25:42, 02:25:47, 02:25:51, 02:25:57, 02:26:01, 02:26:06, 02:26:10, 02:26:16, 02:26:23, 02:26:29, 02:26:36, 02:26:42, 02:26:47, 02:26:52, 02:27:04, 02:27:12, 02:27:16, 02:27:17, 02:27:22, 02:27:25, 02:27:33, 02:27:35, 02:27:41, 02:27:43, 02:27:47, 02:27:48.

President Trump's initial statements suggested a desire to "wind down the war" in Iran, claiming the U.S. was close to achieving its objectives and that Iran's military capabilities were "obliterated" [00:04, 00:10, 02:15, 02:22, 02:27, 04:36, 04:42, 05:04, 05:07, 09:13, 09:17, 13:43, 13:46, 18:11, 18:31, 18:41, 49:58, 50:03, 50:10, 50:14, 50:19, 50:25, 50:37, 50:41, 51:09, 51:13, 51:37, 52:38, 52:41, 52:46, 52:49, 52:53, 53:15, 53:18, 53:25, 53:33, 53:40, 53:50, 53:56, 54:01, 54:07, 54:17, 1:04:22, 1:04:25, 1:04:34, 1:04:43, 1:09:03, 1:11:36, 1:16:10, 1:16:22, 1:17:39, 1:37:01, 1:38:03, 1:38:36, 1:39:02, 1:39:42, 1:41:11, 1:41:40, 1:41:53, 1:42:07, 1:42:15, 1:42:25, 1:42:40, 1:42:45, 1:42:48, 1:43:18, 1:44:21, 1:44:35, 1:44:52, 1:57:03, 1:57:19, 1:57:32, 1:57:45, 1:57:49, 1:58:10, 1:58:16, 1:58:19, 1:58:23, 1:58:30, 1:58:36, 1:58:43, 1:59:01, 1:59:04, 1:59:08, 1:59:10, 1:59:13, 1:59:20, 1:59:23, 1:59:27, 1:59:30, 1:59:36, 1:59:40, 1:59:46, 1:59:50, 1:59:53, 1:59:57, 02:00:02, 02:00:06, 02:00:12, 02:00:17, 02:00:24, 02:00:27, 02:00:29, 02:00:34, 02:00:36, 02:00:42, 02:00:48, 02:00:54, 02:00:58, 02:01:01, 02:01:05, 02:01:09, 02:01:14, 02:01:18, 02:01:23, 02:01:27, 02:01:31, 02:01:38, 02:01:41, 02:01:44, 02:01:47, 02:01:51, 02:01:53, 02:01:56, 02:01:58, 02:02:03, 02:02:10, 02:02:11, 02:02:18, 02:02:21, 02:02:23, 02:02:26, 02:02:30, 02:02:33, 02:02:36, 02:02:41, 02:02:44, 02:02:50, 02:02:53, 02:02:56, 02:03:01, 02:03:07, 02:03:11, 02:03:14, 02:03:18, 02:03:23, 02:03:29, 02:03:32, 02:03:35, 02:03:37, 02:03:43, 02:03:47, 02:03:48, 02:03:53, 02:04:11, 02:04:20, 02:04:26, 02:04:31, 02:04:36, 02:04:39, 02:04:43, 02:04:49, 02:04:52, 02:05:01, 02:05:06, 02:05:09, 02:05:13, 02:05:16, 02:05:18, 02:05:22, 02:05:25, 02:05:27, 02:05:32, 02:05:34, 02:05:40, 02:05:41, 02:05:50, 02:05:54, 02:05:56, 02:05:59, 02:06:03, 02:06:05, 02:06:06, 02:06:12, 02:06:17, 02:06:21, 02:06:23, 02:06:28, 02:06:30, 02:06:32, 02:06:37, 02:06:39, 02:06:42, 02:06:47, 02:06:48, 02:06:52, 02:06:58, 02:07:01, 02:07:05, 02:07:06, 02:07:11, 02:07:14, 02:07:20, 02:07:22, 02:07:24, 02:07:29, 02:07:32, 02:07:33, 02:07:37, 02:07:43, 02:08:06, 02:08:29, 02:08:31, 02:08:35, 02:08:41, 02:08:48, 02:08:55, 02:08:57, 02:09:00, 02:09:04, 02:09:09, 02:09:11, 02:09:13, 02:09:17, 02:09:21, 02:09:25, 02:09:29, 02:09:31, 02:09:37, 02:09:38, 02:09:42, 02:09:45, 02:09:49, 02:09:50, 02:09:55, 02:09:58, 02:10:03, 02:10:05, 02:10:06, 02:10:08, 02:10:11, 02:10:18, 02:10:20, 02:10:23, 02:10:26, 02:10:32, 02:10:36, 02:10:39, 02:10:41, 02:10:43, 02:10:47, 02:10:48, 02:10:51, 02:11:00, 02:11:02, 02:11:03, 02:11:10, 02:11:11, 02:11:14, 02:11:20, 02:11:21, 02:11:26, 02:11:27, 02:11:29, 02:11:33, 02:11:36, 02:11:39, 02:11:42, 02:11:47, 02:11:51, 02:11:54, 02:11:57, 02:12:02, 02:12:04, 02:12:05, 02:12:13, 02:12:14, 02:12:18, 02:12:20, 02:12:23, 02:12:25, 02:12:26, 02:12:30, 02:12:32, 02:12:35, 02:12:37, 02:12:40, 02:12:45, 02:12:47, 02:12:48, 02:12:50, 02:12:53, 02:12:57, 02:13:00, 02:13:02, 02:13:05, 02:13:08, 02:13:12, 02:13:13, 02:13:18, 02:13:21, 02:13:26, 02:13:30, 02:13:35, 02:13:38, 02:13:40, 02:13:44, 02:13:47, 02:13:50, 02:13:53, 02:13:56, 02:14:00, 02:14:02, 02:14:06, 02:14:08, 02:14:11, 02:14:14, 02:14:20, 02:14:21, 02:14:27, 02:14:30, 02:14:35, 02:14:39, 02:14:44, 02:14:49, 02:14:52, 02:14:55, 02:14:59, 02:15:01, 02:15:04, 02:15:08, 02:15:14, 02:15:16, 02:15:17, 02:15:26, 02:15:28, 02:15:32, 02:15:34, 02:15:36, 02:15:38, 02:15:43, 02:15:47, 02:15:49, 02:15:53, 02:15:55, 02:16:01, 02:16:02, 02:16:07, 02:16:12, 02:16:16, 02:16:18, 02:16:23, 02:16:24, 02:16:30, 02:16:31, 02:16:36, 02:16:41, 02:16:42, 02:16:47, 02:16:48, 02:17:07, 02:17:09, 02:17:10, 02:17:18, 02:17:21, 02:17:25, 02:17:27, 02:17:31, 02:17:35, 02:17:39, 02:17:41, 02:17:45, 02:17:46, 02:17:49, 02:17:52, 02:17:56, 02:17:58, 02:17:59, 02:18:01, 02:18:03, 02:18:06, 02:18:09, 02:18:11, 02:18:18, 02:18:19, 02:18:24, 02:18:27, 02:18:30, 02:18:35, 02:18:37, 02:18:40, 02:18:42, 02:18:45, 02:18:49, 02:18:54, 02:18:55, 02:18:59, 02:19:03, 02:19:05, 02:19:10, 02:19:12, 02:19:17, 02:19:21, 02:19:23, 02:19:27, 02:19:29, 02:19:30, 02:19:34, 02:19:38, 02:19:40, 02:19:44, 02:19:48, 02:19:49, 02:19:57, 02:19:59, 02:20:03, 02:20:05, 02:20:09, 02:20:12, 02:20:14, 02:20:17, 02:20:21, 02:20:24, 02:20:27, 02:20:31, 02:20:35, 02:20:36, 02:20:42, 02:20:43, 02:20:47, 02:20:48, 02:20:53, 02:20:56, 02:20:59, 02:21:03, 02:21:06, 02:21:10, 02:21:14, 02:21:17, 02:21:21, 02:21:23, 02:21:25, 02:21:29, 02:21:32, 02:21:37, 02:21:40, 02:21:46, 02:21:48, 02:21:52, 02:21:53, 02:22:00, 02:22:04, 02:22:08, 02:22:15, 02:22:16, 02:22:20, 02:22:26, 02:22:29, 02:22:32, 02:22:37, 02:22:41, 02:22:43, 02:22:47, 02:22:52. However, these statements were immediately followed by contradictory remarks, including a refusal to consider a cease-fire while Iran was perceived to be "literally obliterating the other side" [00:10, 02:37, 02:41, 05:00, 50:19, 50:21]. This inconsistency suggests a fluid and possibly reactive approach to the conflict, driven by immediate events and political considerations.