Washington: US President Donald Trump has said that the war with Iran is “close to over,” asserting that if he pulled up stakes right now, it would take Tehran 20 years to rebuild the country.
The president’s comments come hours after the US Central Command said it had successfully blocked all traffic to and from Iranian ports and coastal areas in the first 24 hours of Trump’s blockade, saying the US was supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” Trump told Fox News in an interview that will be telecast later Wednesday.
His remarks come as US and Iranian officials are expected to resume negotiations on Thursday (April 16) after weekend talks in Pakistan failed to deliver a breakthrough.
Despite the optimism, Trump signalled that US operations are not over. Earlier this week, Washington imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, marking a renewed escalation shortly after agreeing to halt bombing operations.
“If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished,” Trump said, adding that Tehran appears eager to strike a deal.
US Vice President JD Vance and senior White House officials led talks over Iran’s nuclear programme and enrichment plans. While no agreement was reached, Vance said there had been “a lot of progress,” placing the onus on Iran for the next steps.
“The ball is very much in their court,” Vance said in a separate interview.
The conflict began on February 28 after coordinated strikes by US and Israeli forces targeted Iran, significantly weakening its leadership and military infrastructure.
Trump has repeatedly defended the military action, arguing it was necessary to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
“If I didn’t act, Iran would have a nuclear weapon right now,” he said in the interview.
