Trump says the US can end the Iran war in "two or three weeks"

WashingtonAt the beginning of the conflict, Donald Trump predicted that the military campaign in Iran would last about four weeks. With a month of war completed and US oil prices exceeding $4 for the first time since 2022, the US president has said that, in his opinion, the conflict could be over in "two or three weeks." "We will leave very soon," he announced this Tuesday afternoon from the Oval Office. After days of insisting that he was negotiating with the Iranians to end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the leader now assured that no agreement would be necessary for the war to end. "Iran does not have to reach any agreement. No, they don't have to make any deal with me," he stressed. Shortly after these statements, press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that Trump will address the nation this Wednesday at nine in the evening (local time) to talk about Iran.

Wednesday evening's appearance adds more uncertainty to the war after Washington has been sending specialized units for ground operations to the region. The leader sets a deadline of three more weeks of campaign before the operation, dubbed "Epic Fury," concludes. Of the 7,000 additional soldiers that the Pentagon has sent to the region, only about 2,500 marines have arrived, aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli. The others, on board the USS Boxer, are yet to arrive and were expected to do so by mid-April. Meanwhile, elite paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division have already been mobilized. The corps is ready to be activated within a maximum of 18 hours of receiving the order. Last week, moreover, the Pentagon was also planning to send another 10,000 troops.

On Tuesday night, The Wall Street Journal exclusively reported that the United Arab Emirates wants to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and is ready to enter the military campaign. Sources familiar with the talks had also told Associated Press that Gulf countries have privately urged the United States not to stop attacking Iran until significant changes are achieved. These pressures are reportedly led by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The insistence of the Arab countries to continue with the campaign represents a significant shift compared to the reactions in the early days of the conflict, when they criticized Washington for not notifying them of the attack in advance.

The horizontal escalation by the ayatollahs, with attacks on all their neighboring countries, has put the economy and prosperity of the petrostates at risk. Last week, the bombings already escalated to energy infrastructure, causing billions of dollars in damage that will take years to repair. This fact alone ensures that the economic impact of the war will continue to be felt long after the conflict ends.

Trump has now said that the ayatollahs do not need to reach an agreement with Washington to end the conflict and seemed to disassociate himself from how the post-war period should be managed. Especially regarding the Strait of Hormuz. "We will leave. This is not for us. Someone can remove the mines that have been laid in the water. France can do it or anyone who uses the strait," said the president, referring to the naval mines that Iran has placed in the maritime passage since the beginning of the conflict.

Tuesday began with a publication on Truth Social in which Trump precisely disassociated himself from the fate of Hormuz, even though he had made its reopening a condition for not bombing Iranian electrical facilities on April 6. In this same publication, he lashed out at European countries for not wanting to help him unblock the maritime passage and disassociated himself from the fuel shortage that the extension of the boycott could cause. In fact, he suggested that Europeans buy oil from the US and told them to gather the courage to take control of the strait by force. "The United States will no longer be there to help you, just as you have not been there for us. Iran has been, essentially, decimated. The hard part is done. Go get your own oil!", he concluded.

Iran has denied the existence of these talks at all times and on Tuesday morning threatened to escalate its attacks against American companies in the region. The Revolutionary Guard warned that, starting this Wednesday, it would attack a total of 18 companies, including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla, and Boeing. The Iranians warned them that they "should expect the destruction of their facilities for every act of terrorism in Iran," referring to attacks by the United States and Israel.