IN BRIEF
- Trump says US forces could return for “spot hits” if he believes it is necessary.
- He stepped up threats of withdrawing from NATO if European nations did not assist with securing the Strait of Hormuz.
The United States is on the verge of concluding its military operations in Iran, with the possibility of conducting targeted strikes in the future if necessary, according to President Donald Trump. His remarks came just hours before a scheduled prime-time address to the nation.
In his upcoming speech, planned for 12 pm AEDT Thursday (9 pm Wednesday local time), Trump is also expected to discuss the potential withdrawal of the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
When questioned about the timeline for ending the conflict in Iran, Trump responded, “I can’t tell you exactly… but we’re going to be out pretty quickly.”
A White House official indicated that during his address, Trump is likely to confirm a projected timeline of two to three weeks for ending the military engagement in Iran.
Trump emphasized that U.S. actions have prevented Iran from developing nuclear weapons. He stated, ”They won’t have a nuclear weapon because they are incapable of that now, and then I’ll leave, and I’ll take everybody with me. If needed, we’ll come back to perform spot hits.”
In response, Iranian official Mehdi Tabatabai announced on X that a significant letter from Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian addressed to the American people would be released “in a few hours.”
Trump considers quitting NATO
Global oil supplies were expected to be hit twice as hard this month as in March, the International Energy Agency said on Wednesday, underlining the urgent need for an end to the conflict Trump started alongside Israel on 28 February.
Trump said separately on social media that Iran had asked for a ceasefire but that he would not consider it until Iran ceased blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a major fuel shipment route. Iran denied making any such request.
Two security sources from Pakistan, which is mediating in the conflict, earlier said Pakistan had proposed a temporary ceasefire to both sides but had not heard back from either.
Trump had signalled on Tuesday he could wind down the war in two to three weeks even without a deal, and scaled up threats to pull the US out of the NATO defence alliance if European states did not help stop Iran threatening the waterway.
In remarks on Wednesday, Trump said he would express his disgust with NATO for what he considers the alliance’s lack of support for US objectives in Iran.
European states took pains to appear unruffled and France’s junior army minister Alice Rufo said operations by NATO in the Strait of Hormuz would be a breach of international law.
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