Trump signals close conclusion to Iran war

Shafaq News- Washington

US President Donald Trump on Thursday indicated that the war with Iran "will end soon," hailing the US Army for doing an "amazing job," as the war between Iran, the United States and Israel enters its 21st day.

Speaking in the Oval Office during a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Trump explained that he had advised Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to repeat the type of attack Israel carried out on a major Iranian gas field. Yet he did not specify whether he had prior knowledge of or approved the Israeli strike in advance.

Earlier, Trump noted that Washington "knew nothing about this particular attack." The assault on Iran's South Pars gas field prompted Iranian aerial strikes on energy infrastructure in Qatar and across the Middle East, representing one of the most significant escalations in the ongoing conflict. "I told him, don't do that, and he won't do that," Trump asserted.

Three Israeli officials, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, described Trump's social media comments as unsurprising. They compared the response to Israel’s earlier strikes on fuel depots in Iran several weeks ago. Following those attacks, Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth clarified that "in that particular case those weren't our strikes."

Iranian counterattacks have inflicted major damage on the world's largest gas plant in Qatar, targeted a refinery in Saudi Arabia, and forced the United Arab Emirates to suspend operations at gas facilities.

Read more: Opinion: US expert warns strike on Iran’s Kharg Island may send oil prices soaring