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United States President Donald Trump said on Monday that the conflict with Iran was largely concluded, claiming the US had already surpassed the timeline he initially expected for the war.
Speaking in a phone interview with Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) News, Trump said the conflict had progressed far beyond the four- to five-week timeframe he had earlier suggested.
He argued that Iran’s military capabilities had been severely weakened, saying the country had effectively lost much of its naval, air and communications capacity, while its missile and drone capabilities had also been heavily degraded.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force.
“Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones,” he added.
“If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense.”
Financial markets reacted quickly to the comments, with US stocks rising and oil prices dropping in after-hours trading, even though there were no clear indications that the fighting was close to ending.
Trump has previously stated what he described as significant damage inflicted on Iran’s military since joint US and Israeli strikes began on February 28. However, his latest remarks went further in suggesting the conflict may be nearing its conclusion.
Just days earlier, he had insisted that only Iran’s “unconditional surrender” would bring the war to an end.
His comments also contrasted with a message posted by the United States Department of Defense on social media roughly an hour earlier, which said the United States had “only just begun to fight.”
When asked on CBS whether the war might end soon, Trump suggested the timing would ultimately depend on his own assessment rather than outside factors.
“Wrapping up is all in my mind, nobody else’s.”
He also warned Tehran against attempting to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route where tanker traffic has already slowed sharply due to the conflict.
Trump stated that he was considering the possibility of taking control of the strategic waterway, although he also suggested that shipping activity there was beginning to resume.
The US president had little to say about Iran’s newly installed supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who replaced his father, Ali Khamenei, following his death.
Trump said he had no message for the new leader and indicated he believed someone else should lead Iran.
“I have no message for him. None, whatsoever.”
In earlier remarks to the New York Post, Trump also said he was dissatisfied with Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment as supreme leader.
