US President Donald Trump thinks the war against Iran "is very complete" and that Washington was "very far ahead" of his initial four to five week estimated time frame, according to a CBS News interview with him.
"I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they've got no Air Force," Trump told CBS News.
When asked about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said that ships are moving through now, but he is "thinking about taking it over."
US President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference at Trump National Doral in Miami, Florida. Photo: AFP
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world's key oil transit chokepoints, carrying roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. The war has left the critical shipping passageway all but shut.
The United States and Israel began attacking Iran on 28 February and Iran responded with its own strikes against Israel and Gulf states with US bases.
Trump has thus far offered shifting objectives and timelines for the war that has killed scores in Iran, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump told CBS News the US is "very far" ahead of his initial 4-5 week estimated time frame for the war.
On Iran's new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who is the son of the slain supreme leader, Trump told CBS News: "I have no message for him." Trump said he has someone in mind to lead Iran, but did not elaborate.
Trump has previously said he wants to have a say in determining Iran's leader, which Tehran has rejected, Reuters reported.
Trump says US military leaving some Iran targets 'for later'
In a news conference later on Monday (US time) Trump said the war with Iran could end soon, as the conflict enters its second full week, CNN reported.
Asked by a reporter Monday whether he anticipates US military operations concluding within this week or a handful of days, Trump replied, "I think soon."
"Look, everything they have is gone, including their leadership," he said. "In fact, there are two levels of leadership, and even actually, as it turns out, more than that. But two levels of leadership are gone."
Trump said the US had struck over 5000 targets, "some of them very major targets," but the US military is leaving "some of the most important targets for later in case we need to do it."
"If we hit them, it's going to take many years for them to be rebuilt, having to do with electricity production and many other things," he continued.
The US president said Tehran's decision to attack its neighbours in response to the US-Israeli joint strikes on Iran was "very foolish, very stupid."
Iran's neighbours "were largely neutral, or at least weren't going to be involved," Trump said, adding that after Tehran's strikes "the neighbours came onto our side and started attacking [Iran,] and actually quite successfully."
He argued the war with Iran would end up lowering oil prices over the long term, despite the spike in markets driven by the halt in shipments through the nearby Strait of Hormuz.
"The Strait of Hormuz is going to remain safe," he said during the news conference. "We're putting an end to all of this threat once and for all, and the result will be lower oil and gas prices for American families."
Trump also shrugged off the consequences for American consumers of the jump in oil prices, insisting that the supply crunch "affects countries much more than it does the United States."
"Doesn't really affect us," he said. "We have so much oil."
- Reuters / CNN live coverage
