Trump: United States will leave Iran "very soon" with or without a deal

(Patria) - President Donald Trump stated that US forces will end operations in Iran "very soon", recalling a timeframe of two to three weeks as his administration holds talks with Iranian authorities, while continuing its air campaign, AFP reported.

When asked about the impact of high fuel prices since the start of the war on February 28, Trump said: "All I have to do is leave Iran, and we will do that very soon, and they will collapse."

"We are finishing the job and I think we will do it within maybe two weeks, maybe a few days longer," he added.

He also said that the end of US operations does not depend on reaching any agreement with Iran, which in retaliation has effectively closed the crucial Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic.

"They don't have to make a deal with me," he told reporters, after signing an executive order to suppress mail-in voting, which he claims is rife with fraud without evidence.

"When we feel that they have been put into the Stone Age for a long period of time and that they will not be able to make nuclear weapons, then we will leave," he said. "Whether we have a deal or not, it's irrelevant."

"Get your oil"

He reiterated his call for countries to "get" oil by going to the Strait of Hormuz themselves, after many allies rejected the US call for military assistance to free up tanker traffic.

"If France or any other country wants to get oil or gas, they will pass through the Strait of Hormuz, they will go right there and they will be able to manage on their own," Trump said.

"We will have nothing to do with what happens to the strait, because these countries, China, China will go up and fuel their beautiful ships... and they will take care of themselves. There is no reason for us to do it."

In a post on Truth Social earlier on Tuesday, Trump told countries struggling with fuel shortages to "go get your oil" in the Strait of Hormuz.
"The US will no longer be there to help you, just as you were not there for us. Iran is, in essence, decimated. The hard part is over. Go get your oil!"

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth reiterated that message at a press conference.

"This is not just our problem, we are moving forward, although we have done the lion's share of the preparations to ensure that the strait will be open," Hegseth said.

He also said that the coming days of the Iranian war will be "decisive", refusing to rule out the possibility that US ground forces would play a role in the conflict.
"The coming days will be decisive. Iran knows it and can do almost nothing militarily about it," Hegseth said.

He said he had traveled unannounced to visit troops involved in operations against Iran.

"On Saturday, we were on the ground at CENTCOM for about half a day. For operational security reasons, so that those troops are not targeted, the locations and bases will not be named," Hegseth said, referring to the US command responsible for the Middle East region.