Trump gives update on when Iran war will end as he claims there's 'practically nothing left to target'
Iranian leaders have issued fierce words of their own
Donald Trump has shared how much longer America's war with Iran might go on for after nearly a fortnight of conflict.
America teamed up with Israel to attack Iran at the end of February, with one of its airstrikes targeting Ali Khamenei's home which successfully killed the Iranian supreme leader.
Khamenei's son, Mojtaba Khamenei, has since been elected as the country's new leader.
Reportedly, Mojtaba was injured in the February 28 strikes that killed his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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Mojtaba, a secretive 56-year-old cleric, is only the third supreme leader in the history of the Islamic Republic.
He has close ties to the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, which has been firing missiles and drones at Israel and Gulf Arab states.
Questions have remained on how long the war will go on for in light of Iran choosing a new leader, and the president has now given an update.
"The war is going great," Trump told Axios, adding: "We are way ahead of the timetable. We have done more damage than we thought possible, even in the original six-week period."
He added that there is 'practically nothing left to target' in Iran as a result of their air strikes.
Trump's comments come following another update that he recently issued, stating that the war was 'pretty much complete'.
"They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force. Wrapping up is all in my mind," said the POTUS.
The war between the US, Israel, and Iran has had a devastating impact on oil prices across the globe.
While Trump has implied that the end is nigh when it comes to the conflict, he has also hinted during a news conference that the worst fighting could still be ahead as he threatened intensified action if Iran made any 'attempt to stop the globe’s oil supply'.
"We’re putting an end to all of this threat once and for all, and the result will be lower oil prices, oil and gas prices for American families," Trump said.
It will seemingly be down to the US and Israel to stop the war, as it appears as if Iran will not be backing down anytime soon.
The country's defense council said after Mojtaba's appointment: "We will obey the commander-in-chief until the last drop of our blood."
Elsewhere, Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar has said (per Reuters): "We will continue until the minute that we, and our partners, think that it is appropriate to stop."
Tensions in the Strait of Hormuz explained
The Strait of Hormuz, located between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, is one of the world's most important oil shipping routes and sees around 3,000 ships sail through it per month.
It carries around a quarter of global seaborne oil trade and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas and fertilizers, according to the UN Trade & Development, meaning any form of disruption can be catastrophic for the global energy system.
And this is exactly what we are seeing. Since the joint attack on Iran by the US and Israel at the end of February, traffic through the Strait has fallen drastically, resulting in a global rise in prices of goods such as oil, energy, and food.
But this isn't the only major conflict the Strait of Hormuz is enduring.
On March 11, maritime authorities confirmed that three cargo vessels in the strait were hit by 'unknown projectiles', while the US military said on the same day that it attacked and destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the strait amid reports that Iran began laying explosive devices in the waterway.
CNN previously reported that the Middle Eastern country had laid a few dozen mines in the Strait in the past week, and has the capability to sow hundreds more.
President Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Tuesday (March 10) that 'if Iran has put out any mines in the Hormuz Strait, and we have no reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY!'
He added: "If for any reason mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, the Military consequences to Iran will be at a level never seen before."
It is believed Iran has attacked 13 vessels operating around the Gulf since the war began, with countries such as Thailand and Japan reporting damage to ships.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said earlier this week it will not allow even 'one litre of oil' to leave the region if US-Israeli attacks continue, meaning disruptions and price rises across the globe are unfortunately to be expected if the war carries on.
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, Politics
Niamh Shackleton