ISLAMABAD: US President Donald Trump said the United States could end its military attacks on Iran within two to three weeks, adding that a formal deal may not be necessary for the conflict to wind down.
The remarks highlight shifting US statements regarding “Operation Epic Fury,” which has now entered its 33rd day.
“We’ll be leaving very soon,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday, saying the exit could take place “within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.”
When asked if diplomacy with Iran was a prerequisite for ending the campaign, Trump replied, “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal, no. No, they don’t have to make a deal with me.”
These comments contrast with his Monday threats to obliterate Iranian energy infrastructure and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt posted on X that Trump will update the nation in an address on Wednesday night.
Meanwhile, the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and its accompanying warships are deploying to the Middle East, joining the USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Gerald R. Ford carrier strike groups already in the region, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday, citing US officials.
Amid mounting tensions, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced on Tuesday a new threat against US companies in the Middle East starting Wednesday. It listed 18 businesses, including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Tesla and Boeing. The IRGC warned employees to leave their workplaces immediately and urged civilians within a one-kilometer radius to move to safety.
On the military front, the IRGC launched the 88th wave of Operation True Promise 4 on Tuesday, delivering heavy and decisive blows to American and Israeli targets such as the Hawk anti-drone system of the US Fifth Fleet and an Israeli container ship, according to Tasnim News Agency.
Regarding diplomacy, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was quoted by Al Jazeera as saying that he has been receiving direct messages from US special envoy Steve Witkoff, though he clarified these do not constitute “negotiations.” The messages include exchanged views delivered through “friends,” he added.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian stated that any decision regarding the end of the conflict would be based solely on Iran’s stated conditions and the framework of ensuring the nation’s dignity, security and interests, Tasnim News Agency reported.
Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has sent a message to Hezbollah chief Naim Qassem, pledging continued support for the resistance against the United States and Israel, the semi-official Fars news agency reported early Wednesday.
Separately, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a recorded video statement that Israel has smashed Iran’s industrial capability and is creating “new alliances” in the region.
Netanyahu hailed the “enormous achievements” of the conflict, saying, “Iran has the launch capability to threaten us, but they can no longer threaten our existence.” He also expressed hope that he would soon inform Israeli citizens about these new alliances.
So far, the month-long conflict has spread across the region, killed thousands, disrupted energy supplies and threatened to send the global economy into a tailspin.
A latest Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 66% of respondents believe the US should work to end its involvement in the Iran war quickly, even if the administration’s original goals are not fully achieved.
One of the war’s most visible effects in the US has been the rising cost of gasoline, which rose above $4 a gallon on Monday for the first time in more than three years, data from price tracking service GasBuddy shows.
