Late in a conflict that began on February 28, the American president stood in the Oval Office and offered a forecast with the calm certainty of a man who believes the arithmetic of endurance favors him: Iran, he suggested, cannot hold out much longer, and the war may soon close. Beneath that forecast lies an older human anxiety, the fear that a single nuclear weapon would undo the world, and a single mine could undo the fragile calm at sea. Into this picture came a newspaper's account of American shortages in munitions, a claim the administration rejects as false, so that the public is left to
Trump Signals Iran War Nearing End, Denies Munitions Shortage Report
"I don't think they can go much longer," Trump said of Iran.
Mark
Trump says the war ends "pretty soon." What is he basing that on?
Mimi
By his own account, his belief that Iran can't "go much longer." He says it's based on "everything I see," but he didn't lay out specifics in these remarks.
Luke
So that's a prediction, not a development. Nothing here says talks have a date or a deal is drafted.
Mark
He did say he hopes the Hormuz negotiations go positively.
Mimi
Yes, and he described the strait as "sort of open" under a US Navy blockade. But he also admitted a single mine could disrupt shipping.
Luke
That caveat matters. "Sort of open" is his phrase, and we have no independent shipping data in this report.
Mark
Then there's the Washington Post story on munitions.
Mimi
It claims US forces face shortages and that Trump pressed Hegseth about it, saying he thought it "had been fixed." Trump calls it fake and a rumour.
Luke
Be careful here. The report relies on two unnamed sources, and the denial is Trump's own. Neither side has produced documents in this piece, so the shortage is unconfirmed either way.
Mark
And Hegseth?
Mimi
Trump says he's "extremely happy" with him and calls him highly respected in the military.
Luke
Which answers a question about confidence, not about the stockpiles.
Le Pouls
- The war with Iran, begun February 28, is being pressed toward an end that the president says is likely soon.
- A Washington Post report alleging American munitions shortages has thrown the administration into a dispute, with the president calling it fake and treasonous.
- The US Naval blockade holds the Strait of Hormuz, but a single mine or missile could still send shipowners running from billion-dollar vessels.
- Negotiations over the strait are underway, and the outcome of both diplomacy and the disputed munitions account remains unsettled.
Late in a conflict that began on February 28, the American president stood in the Oval Office and offered a forecast with the calm certainty of a man who believes the arithmetic of endurance favors him: Iran, he suggested, cannot hold out much longer, and the war may soon close. Beneath that forecast lies an older human anxiety, the fear that a single nuclear weapon would undo the world, and a single mine could undo the fragile calm at sea. Into this picture came a newspaper's account of American shortages in munitions, a claim the administration rejects as false, so that the public is left to weigh a promise of resolution against a doubt about whether the means to achieve it are truly there.
On Thursday, President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the war with Iran, which began on February 28, will likely end "pretty soon," because he does not believe Iran can "go much longer." He repeated his long-standing position that Tehran must never acquire a nuclear weapon, warning that such an outcome would be catastrophic for the whole world.
The Strait of Hormuz dominated much of his remarks. He credited the US Navy's blockade with giving Washington control of the critical waterway, and he expects the old conditions to return once the fighting stops. He was careful, though, to admit that danger remains: Iran could still fire on ships or drop a mine, and shipowners will not easily risk a billion-dollar vessel.
The remarks arrived alongside a separate storm. The Washington Post reported, citing two unnamed sources, that American forces face munitions shortages and that Trump had pressed War Secretary Pete Hegseth for answers, saying he believed the problem had been fixed. Trump dismissed the story as fake and a rumour, attacked the paper, and called its reporting treasonous, even as the White House said the account was false. He also spoke warmly of Hegseth, calling him highly respected and saying he was extremely happy with his work.
Two questions now hang over the story: whether the Hormuz talks deliver the outcome Trump hopes for, and whether the munitions claim, which rests on anonymous sources, is independently confirmed or contradicted.
On Thursday, local time, President Donald Trump sat down with reporters in the Oval Office and told them the war with Iran is likely to end "pretty soon." The conflict began on February 28. His reasoning was blunt: he does not believe Iran can "go much longer."
Trump, who is 80, paired that forecast with a condition he has stated before. Tehran, he said, cannot be allowed to acquire a nuclear weapon. If it did, he told reporters, the result would be "catastrophic" and the whole world would get "blown up." He also said he hopes the negotiations over the Strait of Hormuz go well with Iran.
The strait was a large part of his remarks. Trump praised the naval blockade led by the US Navy and credited it with helping the United States control the critical waterway. He described the strait as "sort of open right now," and said the country controls it through that blockade. He said he expects a return to the earlier conditions once the war ends, telling reporters, "We will see those days pretty soon again, based on everything I see, as soon as the war ends."
He did not claim the situation was fully secure. Iran, he said, can always shoot something or drop a mine. Even one mine sitting out there, in his words, could "mess things up," because shipowners do not want to risk a billion-dollar vessel being hit by accident.
The comments came as the administration faced a separate controversy. The Washington Post reported that American forces are dealing with shortages of munitions, and that Trump demanded an answer from War Secretary Pete Hegseth about it. The report cited two unidentified sources and said Trump told Hegseth he thought the munitions problem "had been fixed."
Trump rejected the story outright. He called it fake and a rumour, and he attacked the newspaper. On Truth Social he wrote that the rumour was started by what he called "The Washington ComPost," which he described as one of the worst media outlets in the business, despite the White House telling them their story was completely false. He went further and said he believed their "reporting" was "treasonous."
At the same time, he defended Hegseth. Trump said he is "extremely happy" with the work the war secretary is doing, and called him a "highly respected" figure who is respected within the military.
Two things are worth watching. One is whether the Hormuz negotiations produce the positive outcome Trump says he hopes for. The other is whether the munitions account, which rests on two unnamed sources and which Trump calls false, is independently confirmed or contradicted.
Citations marquantes
I think the war's got to end pretty soon. I don't think they can go much longer.— President Donald Trump, Oval Office
Trump said he is extremely happy with Hegseth and called the munitions report false.— Paraphrase of Trump's remarks and Truth Social post
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