Trump Asserts US Could End Military Action in Iran Soon
President Trump has stated that US military operations in Iran could conclude within "two or three weeks," regardless of whether a diplomatic agreement is reached between the involved parties.
Trump emphasized that the United States has fulfilled its primary objective in Iran, which was to limit Iran's capability to develop a nuclear weapon, and that the US is now in the process of "finishing the job."
Iranian President Comments on Conflict Resolution
Iran's president, Masoud Pezeshkian, conveyed that Tehran possesses the "necessary will" to end the conflict, contingent upon certain conditions being satisfied, as reported by Iranian state media.
Background of the Conflict and Trump's Previous Statements
This is not the first occasion during the month-long conflict, initiated when the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, that President Trump has indicated an imminent conclusion to hostilities.
On Tuesday, Trump declared that the US would "leave" Iran "very soon."
"We're finishing the job, and I think within maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer, to do the job."
He further mentioned the possibility of a deal between Washington and Tehran before the conflict's end but noted that it "doesn't matter if they come to the table or not."
"We've set them back 15-20 years. They have no navy, no military, no air force."
Trump explained that once the US is confident Iran cannot develop a nuclear weapon, the US would withdraw regardless of any agreement.
"It's irrelevant now, it's possible that we'll have a deal because they want to make a deal,"he added.
These remarks preceded an address to the nation by the president, scheduled for 21:00 ET on Wednesday (02:00 BST on Thursday), which White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described as an "important update on Iran."
Claims of Ceasefire Request and Diplomatic Developments
Prior to the speech, Trump posted on Truth Social that "Iran's New Regime President" had requested a ceasefire, though he did not specify the individual by name. Iran had not provided an immediate response to this claim.
On the same day, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicated that the end of the war was approaching and that "talks [were] going on."
"There is the potential for direct meeting at some point. We're always going to be open for that."
Rubio cautioned, however, that President Trump would not permit "fake negotiations to be used as a delay tactic to buy more time."
Iran's Conditions for Ending the Conflict
President Pezeshkian stated that Iran would require guarantees "required to prevent repetition of the aggression" in order to cease hostilities. These comments were made during a conversation with European Council President António Costa and were initially reported by Iranian state media.
Following the discussion, Costa posted on X:
"To de-escalate the situation, I urged Iran to stop the unacceptable attacks on countries in the region and to engage positively on the diplomatic track, notably with the UN to ensure the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz."
Continued Military Actions Across the Region
Strikes from both sides persisted throughout Tuesday and into the night. The US Central Command released footage showing its forces deploying precision munitions against underground military targets in Iran.
Israel reported attacking an Iranian factory, which it claims was involved in producing chemical weapons. Iran countered that the facility was manufacturing medicines.
Overnight, Lebanon's capital, Beirut, experienced heavy Israeli airstrikes. The Israeli military stated it targeted a commander and another senior figure from Hezbollah, the armed group supporting Iran in the conflict.
The Gulf region, which has been subject to Iranian attacks due to the presence of US military bases, continued to face assaults.
Saudi Arabia announced it intercepted two drones, while a tanker off Qatar's coast was struck by a missile. Bahrain also suffered attacks, and a fire broke out at Kuwait's International Airport following drone strikes.
On Wednesday morning, the Israeli military reported detecting a new wave of projectiles fired from Iran toward Israel.
