Conflict with Iran 'essentially' at an end, according to Trump

President Donald Trump declared on Monday, in a conversation with CBS, that the conflict with Iran was essentially concluded, with the United States significantly exceeding his initial projected timeline of roughly a month.

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The US stock market experienced a surge, while oil prices plummeted in after-hours trading, following Trump's remarks, despite the absence of any immediate indication that the conflict was subsiding.

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Trump expressed his assessment of the war to CBS News over the phone, stating, "I think the war is very complete, pretty much, as they have no navy, no communications, and no air force."

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He further elaborated, "Their missiles are down to a scatter, and their drones are being destroyed everywhere, including their manufacturing facilities, leaving them with no remaining military capabilities."

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Trump informed the US broadcaster that the country was "very far" ahead of his initially stated war timeline of four or five weeks, reiterating his evaluation of the damage inflicted by the US-Israeli strikes that commenced on February 28.

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Just last Friday, Trump issued a statement stipulating that Iran's "unconditional surrender" was the sole acceptable outcome for ending the war, a sentiment that contrasted with his recent assertion that the conflict was nearing its conclusion.

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Approximately an hour after the Pentagon posted on social media that the United States had "only just begun to fight," Trump commented on the potential swift resolution of the war, saying, "Wrapping up is all in my mind, nobody else's."

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Trump also issued a warning to Iran, threatening action if it attempted to close the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial shipping lane where oil tanker transit has nearly come to a halt, resulting in soaring energy prices worldwide.

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He mentioned considering taking control of the strait, even as he claimed that traffic was beginning to resume, highlighting the ongoing tensions in the region.

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Regarding Iran's newly elected supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who succeeded his slain father Ali Khamenei, Trump stated, "I have no message for him, none whatsoever," and hinted that he had someone else in mind to lead the country.

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Trump had previously expressed his discontent with Mojtaba Khamenei's appointment to the New York Post, underscoring the complexities of the US-Iran relationship.