President Donald Trump promised the United States will soon end its war on Iran, as he threatened to pull out of NATO and sent conflicting messages on his strategy in the Middle East ahead of a primetime address to the nation.
Trump, in a social media post on Wednesday, said Iran’s president asked for a ceasefire but added that he would only consider it when the Strait of Hormuz is open. Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson called the claim “false and baseless.”
In an interview with Reuters, Trump said he anticipates the U.S. will end its military campaign in Iran “pretty quickly,” adding that forces could return for “spot hits” if needed. Trump also said he is “absolutely” considering pulling out of NATO after member countries refused to join the war effort. He told Reuters he will express his “disgust” with the defense alliance during his 9 p.m. address.
- President Trump will deliver an update on the Iran war Wednesday night after saying he expects to end U.S. operations in two to three weeks. Mr. Trump is also expected to say that the U.S. military is meeting or exceeding its operational benchmarks, a White House official told CBS News.
- Energy and stock markets reacted positively to Mr. Trump’s remarks about the war, with oil falling back below the $100 per barrel despite Iran’s threat to target U.S. tech companies and warnings that leaving the Strait of Hormuz under Tehran’s control could cause lingering pain for the global economy.
- Mr. Trump has told Britain’s Telegraph newspaper he could attempt to pull the U.S. out of the transatlantic NATO alliance it’s led for more than seven decades, as he vents frustration at America’s closest allies for declining to join the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Mr. Trump is expected to criticize NATO in his prime-time address, a source told CBS News.
- Mr. Trump said earlier Wednesday that Iran wants a ceasefire, but he’s made it clear he could end U.S. operations without reopening the Strait of Hormuz, leaving other countries to deal with Tehran’s chokehold on the critical shipping lane. Al Jazeera reported that Iran’s foreign minister denied making a ceasefire request.
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Iran’s foreign ministry says Donald Trump’s claim that the country has asked for a ceasefire is “false and baseless”, Iranian state media reports
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Earlier, in a Truth Social post, the US president said Iran’s “new regime president” had made the request – but he didn’t clarify who he was referring to
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Trump said the US would consider a ceasefire “when Hormuz Strait is open, free, and clear. Until then, we are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages!!!”
