Donald Trump has said the war with Iran can end “soon” because “there is virtually nothing left” for the US military to bomb.
In an interview with Axios on Wednesday, the US president suggested that he can make the decision to stop the fighting whenever he wants.
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“Any time I want this to end, it will end,” Trump said.
His statement coincided with comments by Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz suggesting that the timeline for ending the war is indefinite.
“The operation will continue without a time limit, as long as necessary, until we achieve all objectives and achieve victory in the campaign,” Katz said, according to The Times of Israel.
In his comments to Axios, Trump reiterated his view that the war is moving ahead of schedule.
“The war is going very well. We are way ahead of schedule. We have caused more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period,” Trump said.
The US president has made repeated statements about ending the war soon, but Washington has not provided a clear timeline for concluding the military offensive.
It is also unclear whether Tehran would abide by a ceasefire announced solely by the United States.
On Tuesday, news outlet CNBC asked Trump envoy Steve Witkoff how the war could end. He said, “I don’t know.”
Trump told The Times of Israel earlier this week that ending the war would be a “mutual” decision with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, suggesting that the United States would not unilaterally withdraw from the operation.
Hormuz Warning
Trump administration officials have been boasting about the war efforts, emphasizing daily that Iran is taking heavy hits and that its military capabilities are receding.
The United States and Israel have dropped thousands of bombs on Iran, killing at least 1,300 people.
Still, Tehran has continued to fire drones and missiles at Israel, while targeting US assets across the Middle East, as well as civilian and energy sites in the Gulf region.
Despite Trump’s repeated threats, Iran has also managed to keep the Strait of Hormuz virtually closed to commercial shipping, disrupting the flow of oil out of the region.
The disruption has sent oil prices soaring and spread economic uncertainty around the world.
Earlier this week, Trump warned Iran of “death, fire and fury” if it continues to blockade ships in Hormuz.
But on Wednesday three ships were attacked near the strait.
Trump’s previous statements about opening Hormuz and ending the war have calmed economic markets and lowered oil prices, but only temporarily.
Trump previously suggested the US Navy could escort commercial ships through Hormuz, but the Iranian military said it would “welcome” the move, suggesting it is prepared to attack US troops in the waterway.
On Tuesday, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright wrote on social media platform X that the US Navy had escorted an oil tanker through Hormuz and then quickly deleted the post. The White House later confirmed that the claim was not true.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi later accused US officials of “publishing fake news to manipulate markets.”
On Wednesday, the US military asked Iran to stay away from ports near the strait.
“Iranian port workers, administrative staff and commercial ship crews should avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment,” the US military’s Central Command, which focuses on the Middle East, said in a statement.
“Iranian naval forces have positioned military vessels and equipment within civilian ports serving commercial maritime traffic.”
war objectives
Trump initially said his goal was to bring “freedom” to the Iranian people.
But with the ruling system in Iran showing no signs of collapsing, U.S. officials have articulated other goals for the campaign: destroying Iran’s nuclear, missile and drone programs, as well as the country’s navy.
Trump’s advisers have repeatedly said that the US president will decide alone when these goals are met.
Last week, Iran’s Assembly of Experts elected Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the first US-Israeli attacks on February 28.
The decision was seen as proclaiming Iran’s challenge to the United States. Trump had opposed the selection of the younger Khamenei as leader and had repeatedly asserted that the United States must play a role in shaping Iran’s government.
With the Iranian regime still intact, some critics have questioned what the United States would do if Tehran rebuilt its military capabilities after the war.
After a classified briefing with administration officials on Tuesday, Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said the goal of the war appears to be “to destroy a lot of missiles, ships and drone factories.”
“But the question that stumped them: What happens when you stop bombing and restart production?” Murphy wrote in X.
“They hinted at more bombing. Which, of course, is an endless war.”
