President signals exit from “Operation Epic Fury” does not require a deal with Tehran, as White House announces primetime address amid shifting ceasefire terms and escalating regional threats.
WASHINGTON/SHARJAH — US President Donald Trump has stated that the United States could conclude its military operations against Iran within two to three weeks, adding that Tehran does not need to agree to a deal for the conflict to wind down.
The remarks, made to reporters at the White House on Tuesday, highlight a series of shifting and at times contradictory signals from Washington regarding how the five-week-old war might end. Trump suggested a swift exit, saying the US “will be leaving very soon” and that the withdrawal could occur “within two weeks, maybe two weeks, maybe three.”
When asked whether successful diplomacy with Iran was a prerequisite for ending what the Pentagon has dubbed “Operation Epic Fury,” Trump responded: “Iran doesn’t have to make a deal, no. They don’t have to make a deal with me.”
The White House later announced that Trump will address the nation at 9 p.m. EDT on Wednesday (0100 GMT Thursday) to “provide an important update on Iran.”
The statements come after Washington had previously threatened to intensify military operations if Tehran did not accept a 15-point US ceasefire framework. That proposal included core demands that Iran commit to abandoning nuclear weapons, halt all uranium enrichment, and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Earlier on Tuesday, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said Trump remained open to a deal with Iran to end a war that has killed thousands, spread instability across the region, disrupted global energy supplies, and threatened to destabilize the world economy.
While US officials have indicated that talks with Iran are ongoing, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tuesday that direct messages from US special envoy Steve Witkoff do not amount to “negotiations,” according to Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV. Araqchi said the messages, which include threats and views exchanged through intermediaries, fall short of formal diplomatic engagement.
In a significant escalation, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards issued a new threat against 18 US companies operating in the region, including Microsoft, Google, Apple, Intel, IBM, Tesla, and Boeing. The threats take effect from 8 p.m. Tehran time (1630 GMT) on Wednesday. When asked whether he was concerned, Trump replied, “No.”
The US president also criticized NATO allies, particularly the United Kingdom, for what he described as insufficient support for the US war effort. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the sentiment on Fox News, saying NATO had become “a one-way street,” with European nations expecting US defense without providing adequate assistance. Rubio added, however, that Washington “could see the finish line” in the conflict.
WAR CONTINUES TO RAGE
The conflict has also reignited hostilities between Israel and the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah. At least seven people were killed and 24 wounded in two Israeli strikes in the Beirut area on Wednesday, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. The strikes targeted vehicles in Beirut’s southern suburbs and an area just south of the capital. Israel’s military said it had targeted a senior Hezbollah commander and another senior member of the group, though it did not confirm their status.
Amid the ongoing violence, Pakistan has offered to mediate in the war. The foreign ministers of China and Pakistan met in Beijing on Tuesday and jointly called for an immediate ceasefire, urging peace talks to begin as soon as possible.
Iran remains defiant despite sustained US and Israeli attacks. Syrian state television reported that explosions heard in Damascus were the result of Israeli air defences intercepting Iranian missiles. Meanwhile, Iranian state media reported damage to a weather station radar in Bushehr and a steel plant in Isfahan following recent strikes.
The war’s economic impact is deepening. The US national average retail price of gasoline crossed $4 a gallon for the first time in more than three years on Monday, according to GasBuddy. A Reuters/Ipsos poll found that two-thirds of Americans believe the US should move quickly to end its involvement in the Iran war, even if that means not achieving the administration’s stated objectives.
United Arab Emirates Dirham Exchange Rate
