U.S. President Donald Trump said that the conflict with Iran could conclude within “two or three weeks,” leaving it to other nations to secure the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key oil shipping route.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump said the United States would be “leaving Iran very soon” while emphasizing that Washington intends to “finish the job” by targeting Iran’s military and strategic assets.
“It’s possible that we’ll make a deal before that,” he added.
Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu described the joint U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran’s “terror regime” as having “changed the face of the Middle East.”
The comments followed remarks from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, who told the president of the European Council that Tehran had the “necessary will” to end the war if its adversaries guaranteed it would not reignite.
In Lebanon, Israel continued airstrikes against Iran-backed Hezbollah positions, mourning four of its soldiers killed in the country’s south.
The Lebanese Health Ministry reported that seven people died in Israeli strikes in south Beirut and surrounding areas, including a senior Hezbollah commander.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Israel would occupy parts of southern Lebanon even after hostilities end and planned to demolish all homes in villages near the border.
The conflict has already taken a heavy toll, with the Lebanese Health Ministry reporting more than 1,200 deaths and over a million displaced.
The potential for a resolution fueled optimism in global markets. U.S. stocks surged on hopes that the month-long conflict may soon end, while Brent crude oil futures fell 3.2 percent to $103.97 per barrel.
Trump’s statements mark another turn in his administration’s approach to the war, as Washington weighs between escalating the conflict, possibly with ground troops, or seeking a negotiated settlement with Tehran.
