President Donald Trump has indicated that United States military operations against Iran may soon wind down, suggesting that the conflict is nearing completion.
Speaking in a phone interview with CBS News on Monday, Trump said the war had progressed faster than initially expected and claimed that Iran’s military capabilities had been significantly weakened.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force,” Trump said while describing the current state of the conflict.
According to the US president, the operation is advancing well ahead of the four-to-five-week timeline he previously projected. Trump is also expected to address the media later in the day during a press conference scheduled at his Doral golf club near Miami.
Despite the remarks, tensions across the Middle East remain high. Iran, now under the leadership of Mojtaba Khamenei following the death of former supreme leader Ali Khamenei, launched a new wave of missile and drone strikes targeting several regional states.
The attacks reportedly struck or targeted Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Israel. Another missile was also fired toward Turkey, a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), though air defence systems intercepted it before impact.
The ongoing hostilities have had significant global economic consequences. Oil prices surged past $100 per barrel on Monday after Iran effectively blocked shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s crude oil supply normally passes.
However, financial markets showed signs of recovery following Trump’s comments suggesting the war might soon conclude. Major US stock indexes on Wall Street moved into positive territory despite the continued uncertainty surrounding the conflict.
Meanwhile, Emmanuel Macron, the president of France, said allied nations are discussing a defensive naval mission aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz once the most intense phase of the fighting subsides.
The conflict began after coordinated strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran on February 28, triggering widespread retaliation from Tehran and its regional allies.
With energy infrastructure under threat and global oil supplies disrupted, governments, financial markets, and central banks around the world continue to closely monitor developments in the Middle East.
