Washington, United States, April (V7N) – President Donald Trump stated Tuesday that US forces will conclude operations in Iran "very soon," with an expected timeline of two to three weeks. His administration continues to engage in talks with Iranian authorities while simultaneously pursuing an aerial campaign.

Asked about the impact of rising fuel prices since the war’s commencement on February 28, Trump remarked:
"All I have to do is leave Iran, and we'll be doing that very soon, and they'll come tumbling down." He added that the US military's mission was almost complete, estimating it would take another couple of weeks or perhaps just a few days longer.

Trump emphasized that the end of US operations would not be contingent on reaching a deal with Iran, despite Tehran's move to block the vital Strait of Hormuz to oil tanker traffic in retaliation. He said:
"When we feel that they are, for a long period of time, put into the stone ages and they won't be able to come up with a nuclear weapon, then we'll leave."

Trump reiterated his stance that countries grappling with fuel shortages, like France and China, should secure their own oil by navigating the Strait of Hormuz independently, following several allies’ refusals to assist the US in ensuring the free passage of tankers. He stated:
"If France or some other country wants to get oil or gas, they'll go up through the Hormuz Strait, they'll go right up there, and they'll be able to fend for themselves."

Earlier in a Truth Social post, Trump told countries facing fuel shortages to "go get your own oil," stressing that the US would no longer offer help, mirroring the lack of support it had received from those nations during the conflict.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s position, emphasizing that the responsibility to ensure the Strait of Hormuz remains open would no longer solely fall on the US. Hegseth added that the coming days in the conflict would be "decisive", but refrained from ruling out the use of US ground troops.

He also shared his visit to US troops in CENTCOM, noting that he had spent half a day there, but declined to specify locations for security reasons. Hegseth stated:
"Iran knows that, and there's almost nothing they can militarily do about it."

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