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Trump says the Iran war is ‘close to over’. Is he just out of options?
Several clocks are ticking for the American president as he looks for a way out of the deadlock, observers suggest
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Donald Trump’s claim that the US war with Iran is nearing an end reflects a desire to break the conflict’s deadlock to ease political pressure at home, according to analysts.
Halfway into a two-week ceasefire and with a stand-off in the Strait of Hormuz, the US president was running out of time, they said, adding that a deal was still possible.
In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said the United States was “not done” but the six-week-old war was nearing the finish line.
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“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” he said.
That is despite the failure of peace talks in Pakistan on the weekend and the start of a US naval blockade in the strait.
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American forces have “completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea”, US Central Command said in a social media post on Tuesday, flaunting its “maritime superiority” in the Middle East and prompting threats of retaliation from Tehran.
Iranians dismiss Trump threats to block Hormuz Strait
Iranians dismiss Trump threats to block Hormuz Strait
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