In a recent statement, U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to push Iran 'back to the Stone Age' if ongoing negotiations fail. Despite this aggressive rhetoric, internal assessments from Trump's aides reveal a starkly different reality: Iran is reportedly not conceding and is holding firm in the conflict, which has now entered its fifth week. According to an Axios report, U.S. officials close to Trump believe that Iran is 'not losing the war' and thus lacks the incentive to yield to U.S. demands. This assessment contrasts sharply with Trump's public claims that Iran is on the verge of surrender. The Iranian military has absorbed initial strikes without systemic collapse and continues to leverage regional power through proxies. As long as Iran believes it can withstand U.S. pressure without facing existential threats, it is unlikely to concede to demands such as dismantling its military capabilities. This disconnect between Trump's public messaging and the private evaluations from his aides suggests that the conflict may be entering a more dangerous phase, where the U.S. could resort to forced escalation or face a prolonged standoff with Iran.