President Donald Trump predicted that the war on Iran will end in two to three weeks, implying that the United States had achieved most of its military objectives and would let other countries handle the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, “I would say that within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.” “There’s no reason for us to do this, so we’ll leave.”
Although he stated that an agreement with Tehran was not required for the conflict to end, Trump suggested that Iran might still be able to come to an arrangement with the US during that period. Trump said that the US will withdraw if Iran was unable to acquire nuclear weapons and asserted that the current government was superior to the one in place prior to the conflict.
The regime has now changed. One of my objectives was not to bring about regime change. I only had one objective. They will no longer possess nuclear weapons, and that objective has been accomplished. They won’t possess nuclear weapons, Trump declared.
In a post on X on Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Trump would speak to the country on Wednesday “to provide an important update on Iran.” She didn’t give any more information.
Following the president’s early action remarks, oil prices were little firmer. Asian equities recovered from their worst month in almost 17 years thanks to hope that the dispute that rocked international markets might be coming to an end.
The firmness of Trump’s timeline is yet unknown. He routinely sets two-week deadlines and regularly blows beyond them. In order to maintain the possibility of further escalation, the US has also sent more troops into the area.
In an interview with Fox News, Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that while the US “can see the finish line” in Iran, the administration’s goals won’t be accomplished in the next day or two. Additionally, Rubio stated that once the Iranian conflict is resolved, the United States must “re-examine the value” of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
The president once more voiced his displeasure with US allies for failing to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway that has been mostly closed since the conflict began. According to those acquainted with Trump’s thinking, he has told colleagues that he is upset with NATO members and other partners.
“What is the strait’s fate? In the Oval Office, Trump declared, “We’re not going to have anything to do with these countries, China, China. They’ll go up, fuel up their beautiful ships, and they’ll leave and take care of themselves.” “We have no justification for doing it.”
Trump has vacillated between declaring success in diplomatic discussions with Tehran and threatening to intensify strikes as he gets increasingly insistent about getting a truce. He hinted to an impending departure on Tuesday, but he also said that the US would strike Iranian bridges in an effort to force the nation to the negotiating table.
Another person acquainted with the president’s thinking, who asked to remain anonymous in order to share private discussions, said the president understands that the current state of affairs is intolerable.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that his nation was prepared for any conflict with American forces in an interview with Al Jazeera. Although he acknowledged having direct communication with US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, he clarified that this “does not mean that we are in negotiations.” Iran, he continued, has no faith in Washington and does not anticipate that any negotiations would be fruitful.
Reopening Hormuz, which transports around 20% of seaborne oil, may not be required to end the war, according to recent suggestions from Trump’s staff.
Investors might be calmed by an escape, but there is a risk of ongoing volatility if the strait’s status is not resolved, particularly in light of Tehran’s demands for sovereignty. Since the start of the war, Brent has increased by around 60%, and US petrol prices have surpassed $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022.
The events raise the possibility that Trump’s Republican Party may lose control of Congress in November’s midterm elections because they indicate that the battle he initiated with Israel is no longer entirely within his control.
Regarding the short-term inconveniences caused by Operation Epic Fury, President Trump has always been forthright. However, with the Administration concentrated on carrying out the President’s tried-and-true economic plan of tax cuts, deregulation, and energy abundance, America’s long-term economic trajectory remains stable, according to a statement from White House spokesman Kush Desai.
The US miscalculated the disruption to energy shipments, according to critics. Trump has attempted to shift accountability on nations more dependent on Middle Eastern energy and to distinguish the threat presented by Iran from the war’s effects on shipping.
Trump said earlier on Tuesday that the US had lessened Iran’s military threat, perhaps enabling the strait to reopen on its own.
The Trump told the New York Post, “They have no strength left, and let the countries that are using the strait, let them go and open it.”
Gulf states, which were encouraged by Trump’s assertion on Fox News last week that the US will continue to defend Gulf allies even “if we don’t stay” in Iran, would be alarmed by that idea.
They probably want us to stay,” he remarked. “We will be protecting them if we leave.”
Although it is possible for the US to halt military operations and assign Hormuz to a different coalition task force, doing so would lessen Washington’s influence over Tehran, especially since European and Gulf allies are only interested in a more focused mission that aims to open the strait rather than accomplishing more general strategic objectives by bombing Iranian assets.
According to a US person with knowledge of the situation, a third US aircraft carrier strike group is simultaneously travelling to the Middle East. On Tuesday, the USS George H.W. Bush sailed out from Norfolk, Virginia.
Trump brought an unprecedented range of military equipment, including aircraft carrier strike groups and warplanes, into the Middle East during the pre-war negotiations, but he was unable to persuade Iran to give in to US demands that it abandon its missile programme or stop supporting proxy organisations like Hamas or Hezbollah.
The only Gulf Arab nation to declare its intention to join a naval force in an effort to reopen Hormuz or offer escorts is the United Arab Emirates. Bahrain is drafting a resolution for the UN Security Council that would establish a naval task force.
