Mideast crisis: Trump says war against Iran ‘very complete’, claims Tehran has ‘nothing left’
In a phone interview with CBS News on Monday, Trump said the conflict had already achieved most of its objectives.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” the president said, speaking from his golf club in Doral, Florida, according to CBS News. “[Iran has] no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones.”
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He added: “If you look, they have nothing left. There’s nothing left in a military sense.”
US-Israel vs Iran: Rough time for West Asia
The U.S. military has struck more than 3,000 Iranian targets in the first week of operations, according to CBS News, as Washington intensifies its campaign against Tehran’s military infrastructure.
Trump also said the conflict was moving faster than he had predicted at the outset.“We’re very far ahead of schedule,” he told CBS News.
The president had earlier estimated that the war could take roughly four to five weeks to complete.
Trump’s remarks came shortly after Iranian authorities announced that Mojtaba Khamenei would succeed his father as the country’s supreme leader.
Asked if he had a message for the new leader, Trump dismissed the idea.
“I have no message for him. None, whatsoever,” the president said, adding that he has someone else in mind to lead Iran but declining to elaborate.
Battle over Strait of Hormuz
The conflict has also rattled global energy markets and shipping routes, particularly around the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway through which roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes.
Commercial shipping through the strait has largely ground to a halt during the fighting, according to CBS News.
Trump said the United States had the ability to intervene if Iran attempted to disrupt the waterway.
“They’ve shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it’s going to be the end of that country. … If they do anything bad, that would be the end of Iran and you’d never hear the name again.”
He added that the strait was currently open and that ships had been entering it, though he said he was still “thinking about taking it over.”
Trump hints at removing oil sanctions
The conflict has also sent shockwaves through global energy markets, prompting the White House to weigh a series of measures aimed at containing oil prices and stabilising investor sentiment.
Speaking separately at a news conference at his resort in Doral, Florida, President Donald Trump said his administration was considering steps including waiving certain oil-related sanctions and deploying the United States Navy to escort commercial tankers through the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz.
“We’re looking to keep the oil prices down,” Trump said at the briefing. “They went artificially up because of this excursion.”
The president predicted the conflict with Iran could end “very soon,” though he added he did not expect the war to conclude this week. Trump nevertheless insisted the campaign was moving faster than anticipated and sought to reassure investors concerned about rising energy costs and supply disruptions.
Trump also said he had discussed oil sanctions with Vladimir Putin earlier Monday, though he did not provide details about the conversation. Russia’s oil exports have been subject to Western sanctions imposed over its war in Ukraine.
Behind the scenes, U.S. officials are evaluating a range of options to counter higher fuel prices, according to people familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg. Those possibilities include releasing crude from the nation’s emergency stockpiles, suspending federal gasoline taxes — which would require congressional approval — and potential involvement by the Treasury Department in oil futures markets.
Scott Bessent, the U.S. Treasury secretary, had earlier suggested that Washington could ease some restrictions on Russian oil exports. The Treasury last week temporarily allowed Indian refiners to buy additional Russian crude, part of an effort to maintain supply in global markets.
Trump’s remarks also pointed to a shift in tone from the White House, which until recently emphasised its ability to sustain the military campaign indefinitely. The president signalled that officials were increasingly willing to discuss the possibility of bringing hostilities to a close.
Earlier Monday, addressing Republican lawmakers, Trump said the United States and Israel were “crushing the enemy in an overwhelming display of technical skill and military force.”
At the press conference, he claimed U.S. forces had struck roughly 5,000 targets in Iran, reducing the country’s missile capabilities to about 10% of their previous capacity and cutting drone launches by 83%. The overall military objectives, he said, were “pretty well complete.”
At the same time, Trump acknowledged uncertainties surrounding leadership in Tehran and warned that the United States could escalate further if necessary. While saying American forces had already sunk more than 50 Iranian ships, he indicated that a prolonged conflict could see additional strikes on “important targets,” including electricity generation facilities.
