Trump says Iran war to end ‘soon’ as Israel claims no time limit

Donald Trump told Axios that the war with Iran may end “soon” because there is “practically nothing left” for the United States military to bomb and said, “Any time I want it to end, it will end.”

“Donald Trump has said that the war with Iran may end “soon” because there is “practically nothing left” for the United States military to bomb”

Al Jazeera

He reiterated to Axios that “The war is going great. We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period.”

Al Jazeera

Trump has repeatedly said the war will end soon, but Washington has not provided a clear timeline for concluding the military offensive and it is also unclear whether Tehran would abide by a ceasefire announced solely by the US.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz told The Times of Israel that “The operation will continue without any time limit, as long as required, until we accomplish all objectives and achieve victory in the campaign.”

Katz’s statement signals an open-ended Israeli timeline that contrasts with Trump’s assertion that he can stop the fighting whenever he chooses.

Al Jazeera

The United States and Israel have launched thousands of bombs against Iran, killing at least 1,300 people, while Tehran has continued to fire drones and missiles against Israel and to target US assets as well as energy and civilian sites in the Gulf region.

“Donald Trump has said that the war with Iran may end “soon” because there is “practically nothing left” for the United States military to bomb”

Al Jazeera

Iran has largely kept the Strait of Hormuz shut to commercial shipping, a blockade that has sent oil prices soaring and created economic uncertainty, and three vessels were attacked near the strait on Wednesday.

Trump warned Iran of “death, fire and fury” if it continues to block ships in Hormuz, and previous US claims about escorting commercial ships through the strait included a post by US Energy Secretary Chris Wright that was deleted and later denied by the White House, a move Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi accused of “posting fake news to manipulate markets.”

The US military’s Central Command warned that “Iranian dockworkers, administrative personnel, and commercial vessel crews should avoid Iranian naval vessels and military equipment” because Iranian naval forces had positioned military vessels and equipment within civilian ports.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian set out Tehran’s conditions for ending the war, including compensation for the US-Israeli assault and “firm” international guarantees that Iran would not be attacked again.

Last week, Iran’s Assembly of Experts chose Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the opening US-Israeli strikes on February 28.

Al Jazeera

It remains unclear what would happen if Tehran rebuilds its military capabilities after the war, and some critics and US officials have questioned the campaign’s endgame.

Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff said “I don’t know” when asked how the war may end, and Democratic Senator Chris Murphy said the goal appears to be “destroying lots of missiles and boats and drone factories” and wrote, “They hinted at more bombing. Which is, of course, endless war.”