Washington, April 1: United States military operations in Iran may conclude shortly as President Donald Trump declared on Wednesday that forces are “finishing the job” in the region. The President outlined a tentative timeline for a withdrawal, suggesting that American troops could be leaving in as little as two or three weeks, marking a sharp pivot in the administration’s approach to the month-long conflict.
The President affirmed that the criteria for ending the campaign would be the military neutralization of Iran’s nuclear potential. “When we feel that they are put into the stone ages and they won’t be able to come up with a nuclear weapon, then we’ll leave,” he declared. He clarified that a formal peace deal is not necessary for the United States to cease its operations.
This shift in strategy comes despite continued hostilities in the Middle East. While the President spoke of a departure, Tehran was rocked by explosions and critical infrastructure in Kuwait was targeted by drone strikes. The White House noted that more details regarding this “significant update” will be shared during an upcoming presidential address.
The President also connected the military presence to global fuel volatility, which has seen prices double in some sectors. He asserted that a US exit would lead to a collapse of the current pressures facing the Iranian administration. Furthermore, he challenged allies to secure their own energy supplies rather than relying on US protection in the Strait of Hormuz.
“They don’t have to make a deal with me,” the President maintained, focusing on a military-first conclusion to the war. The conflict, which started in late February, has rewritten the geopolitical landscape of the region, but the administration now appears focused on a rapid conclusion to the kinetic phase of the campaign.
