Trump: War with Iran will be over soon, one way or another

US President Donald Trump reiterated Friday that the war with Iran would soon come to an end, suggesting that Washington was prepared to achieve that outcome either through negotiations or military action. Speaking at an event at the White House, Trump expressed confidence that the conflict was approaching its conclusion and predicted that gasoline prices would decline. “We stopped Iran from having a nuclear weapon - and the [gas] prices will come tumbling [down] and it’s gonna be over soon, one way or the other," Trump stated. He emphasized that the United States had more than one option for bringing the conflict to an end. “We can do it either way, but it’s very simple - one way or another it’s gonna be over soon." The president also portrayed Iran's military capabilities as having been severely weakened. “They have no military, they have no Navy, they have no air force, they have no anti-aircraft things," Trump suggested. His remarks followed reports that the Pentagon has prepared plans for another major military operation against Iran, even as diplomatic efforts continue. According to a report published Thursday by The New York Times , American military planners have developed options for a renewed offensive targeting Iranian missile and drone facilities, energy infrastructure and other military installations. Sources familiar with the proposals said the plans center on an intensive military campaign lasting approximately three days. Despite the preparations, Trump announced Thursday that the United States would not carry out additional strikes against Iran before the November 3 midterm elections. “We are having productive discussions with the Islamic Republic of Iran," Trump wrote on Truth Social. Trump said the Iranian government was confronting substantial economic and military difficulties but made clear that Washington would continue exerting pressure on Tehran. He also stated that the American blockade of Iran would remain in place, while oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was continuing at exceptionally high levels. The diplomatic negotiations remain complicated by disagreements over Iran's nuclear program. Earlier this week, Vice President JD Vance told Reuters that Tehran would have to take meaningful steps to reduce its uranium enrichment capabilities before Washington would agree to end the war. Vance stressed that the Trump administration was seeking concrete restrictions on Iran's nuclear activities rather than promises about its future intentions. "If you don't want a nuclear weapon, then why do you need 60% enriched fuel? And if you want to show commitment to not building a nuclear ⁠weapon, don't build highly enriched fuel. That's a very basic threshold issue," Vance said. "I think if they want to show a commitment to not building a nuclear weapon, they would do something meaningful on their enrichment capacity." The vice president underscored that Washington would not accept verbal commitments as a substitute for substantive action. "We're not going to trade words for actions," Vance told Reuters . Nevertheless, he indicated that the administration remained willing to negotiate an agreement if Iran made significant concessions regarding its nuclear program. Iranian officials, however, have continued to reject American demands concerning uranium enrichment. Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, subsequently declared that Tehran would neither abandon uranium enrichment nor surrender its uranium stockpiles. He also dismissed renewed American warnings about potential attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities as “nothing new". (Arutz Sheva-Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)