Trump says he is considering winding down Iran war
President Trump stated Friday he is considering ending military operations in Iran, saying the U.S. is "very close" to meeting its objectives.
11:04 PM
President Donald Trump said Friday he is considering "winding down" the Iran war, stating that the United States was "getting very close" to meeting its military objectives.
Speaking to reporters outside the White House as he prepared to depart for Florida, Trump said: "I think we've won. We've knocked out their navy, their air force. We've knocked out their anti-aircraft. We've knocked out everything. We're roaming free." He added: "We want victory… and that's what we've got."
Trump also said the Strait of Hormuz would need to be guarded by other nations that use it, stating that the United States was not one of them. Energy prices have soared since Iran effectively closed the shipping route after the conflict began last month.
The president's comments represent a shift in stated U.S. goals for the conflict. When the U.S.-Israeli airstrike campaign began last month, the Trump administration said it aspired to create conditions for regime change in Tehran and aimed to completely strip Iran of its stockpile of nuclear fuel. Friday's statements omitted any reference to those earlier objectives, instead focusing on weakening Iran's military capabilities.
Trump said: "I don't want to do a ceasefire. You don't do a ceasefire when you're literally" winning, according to his account of the military situation.
The White House this week requested $200 billion in additional funding for the conflict. More troops and warships are being sent to the region. Trump has previously indicated the war was nearly over, only for it to escalate.
Iran's new supreme leader said the country had dealt "a dizzying blow" to the enemy in response to the ongoing conflict.
Gasoline prices have risen to around $4 a gallon in the United States since the conflict began. Republicans have expressed concern about the economic impact of the Pentagon's funding request for ammunition replacement.
Trump has delivered mixed messages about the conflict in recent weeks and has previously changed his stated positions on the war.