Politics
Iran Slaps Down Trump’s ‘Nonsense’ Claim War Could Soon Be ‘Over’
Donald Trump’s claim that the war in Iran might soon be “over” has been dismissed by the country’s regime.
Amid rising oil prices and a turbulent energy market, the US president told CBS News his offensive “is very complete, pretty much” ten days after he and Israel initiated strikes on Iran.
“They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force,” he said.
Trump suggested that the conflict would end before the initial four-week time frame he previously laid out.
Bizarrely, he also said: “We’ve already won in many ways, but we haven’t won enough.”
The White House’s initial war aims remain unclear so it’s hard to predict when American forces will decide it’s time to withdraw.
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday his forces were looking for regime change.
Trump also threatened Tehran on Monday, warning of a major backlash if Iran were to block the Strait of Hormuz, the waterway which transports a fifth of the global oil supply.
But the Iranian military rejected all of Trump’s “nonsense”.
A spokesperson from the IRGC – Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps – said: “It is we who will determine the end of the war.
“The equations and future status of the region are now in the hands of our armed forces; American forces will not end the war.”
The IRGC also claimed they would not allow any oil to be shipped out of the Middle East if the strikes continue.
That claim evidently did not deter the US president, who doubled down on his warnings in a later Truth Social post.
He said: “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.”
Iranian foreign minister Abbas Araqchi said his country was unlikely to continue talks with the States after three rounds of failed negotiations over capping Tehran’s nuclear capabilities.
Speaking to PBS, he said: “Still, they decided to attack us. So I don’t think talking to the Americans anymore would be on our agenda any more.”