US President Donald Trump has said the United States is nearing the end of its military campaign against Iran, although he did not provide a clear timeline.
Speaking in a prime-time address, Trump said Iran had been significantly weakened and that key military goals were almost complete.
“We are going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast. We’re getting very close,” he said, according to CNN.
Trump claimed US forces had destroyed Iran’s navy and air force, and had damaged its missile and nuclear capabilities.
He added that operations would continue over the next two to three weeks.
“This short-term increase has been entirely the result of the Iranian regime launching deranged terror attacks against commercial oil tankers of neighbouring countries that have nothing to do with the conflict,” Trump said.
Iranian officials pushed back on the claims.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei called Trump’s assertion that Iran was seeking a ceasefire “false and baseless,” according to state media.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran would continue to defend itself. “You cannot speak to the people of Iran in the language of threats and deadlines,” he said.
“We do not set any deadline for defending ourselves.”
President Masoud Pezeshkian also questioned the conflict, asking: “Exactly which of the American people’s interests are truly being served by this war?”
