President Donald Trump signaled that the U.S. conflict with Iran may be drawing to a close, hours after completing a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin in which the Kremlin says Putin offered a proposal to bring the war to a swift end.
Trump spoke with reporters following the call, asserting that American forces have performed ahead of schedule in the ongoing military campaign against Iran.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” Trump told CBS News.
“They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force … Wrapping up is all in my mind.”
According to the Kremlin, Putin used the conversation to present a framework for rapidly ending hostilities.
The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine and oil market conditions in Venezuela during the wide-ranging call.
Trump further declared that U.S. strikes had effectively dismantled Iran’s offensive capabilities, including its missile and drone arsenal.
Iran launched retaliatory attacks targeting U.S. military bases and Gulf nation partners following the death of its supreme leader, resulting in the deaths of seven American troops.
“Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones,” Trump said.
“If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense.”
Speaking at a Republican members conference in Doral, Trump reiterated his expectation that the conflict would conclude quickly, walking back a previous warning that the campaign could extend beyond its original four-week timeline.
“We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some evil. I think you’ll see it’s going to be a short term excursion,” Trump said.
“How good is our military, right? Amazing. Short term. Short term.”
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz—the narrow waterway linking the Persian Gulf to the Gulf of Oman—has driven oil prices sharply higher, according to reports.
Approximately one-fifth of global oil supply transits through the strait. Iran has targeted the route with drone and missile attacks against America’s Arab allies.
U.S. oil prices fell to $86 per barrel from $91 after Trump floated the idea of a U.S. takeover of the Strait of Hormuz.
Financial markets, which had fallen sharply earlier in the session, partially recovered on the news.
According to reports, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 200 points after plunging nearly 900 points at its low, while the S&P 500 gained 0.8 percent and the Nasdaq rebounded 1.4 percent after falling as much as 1.5 percent.
American consumers have already experienced the impact at the pump.
The national average for a gallon of gasoline has risen to $3.40, up from $2.90 before the conflict began, according to AAA.
Trump told the New York Post that he has no interest in communicating with Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.
“I have no message for him. None, whatsoever,” Trump said.
He added that he was “not happy” with Khamenei’s ascension to power.
When pressed on what actions he might take, Trump declined to elaborate: “Not going to tell you…Not going to tell you. I’m not happy with him.”
Trump also told close aides he would back the elimination of Khamenei if the new leader refuses to abandon Iran’s nuclear program, according to reports.
