Trump says Iran war could end soon, claims conflict ‘militarily effectively over’

US President Donald Trump has suggested that the conflict with Iran could come to an end soon, saying Washington could achieve its military objectives within a short period while reiterating that the United States would not allow Tehran to develop nuclear weapons.

Trump's remarks came amid signs of a possible de-escalation, with the US President playing down the immediate need for further military action and saying that Iran was engaging with Washington diplomatically.

Speaking to C-SPAN's Washington Journal Primetime on Tuesday, Trump said the duration of the conflict would depend on developments on the ground and the progress of diplomatic efforts.

"It depends. I mean, we could knock it out fast, or we could knock it out over a short, not a long period of time," he said when asked how long the war with Iran might continue.

In a social media post shortly before addressing reporters, Trump also maintained that Washington's Middle East allies, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait, among others, "would prefer the status quo".

Trump rules out immediate military escalation

Trump struck a less aggressive tone on Monday, telling reporters that Tehran was communicating with Washington and describing its approach as polite.

"They're talking to us, and they're talking very politely. And we'll see what happens," he said.

The US President added that military action did not appear necessary at the moment, although he warned that American forces remained prepared to respond if circumstances changed.

"The military action doesn't seem to be a very necessary thing, but we're locked and loaded, ready to go for any reason that changes," Trump said.

His remarks followed a meeting with Qatar's Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, at the White House. The Qatari leader has been playing an intermediary role in efforts to facilitate negotiations between Washington and Tehran.

Trump said there was positive momentum towards ending the conflict, although he did not provide details of the discussions.

In his remarks after the meeting, Trump declared that Iran had effectively lost its military capabilities.

"Iran militarily is effectively over," he told reporters, adding that the United States was maintaining the existing situation.

Trump also indicated that Washington was not looking to resume large-scale military operations as long as diplomatic efforts continued to make progress. However, he maintained that a lasting arrangement would have to prevent Iran from pursuing nuclear weapons.

US to maintain pressure through naval blockade

Trump's reference to maintaining the status quo comes amid continuing American efforts to restrict Iran's access to international trade and supplies.

The US President has indicated that the approach would involve maintaining the naval blockade against Iranian ports, alongside a newly announced initiative, Task Force Iron Gate, aimed at disrupting Iran's land-based supply routes.

The United States has also continued limited military operations despite Trump's suggestion that a broader resumption of strikes is unlikely.

According to reports, American forces carried out strikes targeting Iranian air defence installations over the preceding week and disabled a commercial vessel accused of attempting to breach the naval blockade.

Trump has also identified infrastructure targets, including 38 bridges, that could be struck if military operations resume.

The diplomatic push comes as Tehran and Washington remain divided over the conditions for ending the conflict. Iran has sought an end to the naval blockade, sanctions relief, the release of frozen assets and compensation for war-related damage as part of any broader settlement.

Hegseth and Rubio defend decision to confront Iran

Despite the possibility of an early end to the conflict, senior members of the Trump administration have defended the decision to take military action against Iran, arguing that national security considerations can outweigh domestic political consequences.

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told the Associated Press on Monday that he agreed with Trump's assessment that he would take the same course of action again, even if it came at a political cost in the US midterm elections.

"It doesn't have to be necessarily popular, but it can be necessary," Hegseth said.

His remarks echoed those made by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, shortly before he left for the G7 meeting in France.

Rubio said Trump had taken action to confront difficult challenges affecting American national security, even though such decisions might not necessarily be popular.

"He addressed it even though oftentimes the right thing to do for the country, confronting difficult challenges for the security of our country, doing it isn't necessarily popular, but necessary," Rubio said.

The conflict has also emerged as a significant political issue in the United States. The eight-month-long war and the resulting increase in fuel prices contributed to voter dissatisfaction ahead of last week's midterm elections, in which Republicans lost control of both chambers of Congress.

Oil prices fall as fears of prolonged conflict ease

Meanwhile, international oil prices extended their losses on Tuesday after Trump's remarks reduced concerns about prolonged military action and sustained disruptions to energy supplies in the Middle East.

Brent crude futures fell 70 cents, or 0.75 per cent, to $91.88 a barrel by 0246 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declined 78 cents, or 0.90 per cent, to $86.07 a barrel. Both benchmarks had dropped by around 1 per cent earlier in the session.

The decline followed a sharp fall on Monday, when Brent crude settled 5.85 per cent lower after touching its weakest level since August 31.

The easing in oil prices reflected market expectations that the conflict might not lead to prolonged supply disruptions, particularly after Trump indicated that further military action against Iran was not immediately necessary.