Trump says Iran war will end soon as US weighs new strikes
US President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran will end “very soon,” predicting a sharp drop in oil prices once the conflict concludes, even as reports indicate that the US military is preparing plans for potentially intensified strikes against Iranian targets.
Speaking to reporters in Montana on Wednesday, Trump said Iran would never be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon and suggested Tehran wanted the conflict to end.
“The Iran war will end very soon,” he said. “They’ll never have a nuclear weapon, and oil prices will drop like a rock.”
Trump also expressed uncertainty over which Iranian officials Washington was negotiating with, saying that Iran’s leadership and military capabilities had been severely weakened by US operations.
“I should have probably left their leaders because I don’t know who the hell we’re negotiating with,” he said.
The president claimed that US strikes had destroyed Iran’s naval fleet and rendered its fighter aircraft unusable, describing the country as significantly weaker than before the conflict. His claims about the extent of the destruction were not independently verified in the reports provided.
US considers powerful bomb for potential new attacks
Despite Trump’s prediction of an imminent end to the war, CNN reported Wednesday that the US military had developed additional strike plans that could include the use of the GBU-43/B Massive Ordnance Air Blast bomb, widely known as the “mother of all bombs.”
Citing US officials familiar with the planning, the report said potential targets included Iranian energy infrastructure and nuclear facilities, including a suspected underground site at Pickaxe Mountain.
The proposed use of the bomb, the largest non-nuclear weapon in the US arsenal, would represent a significant escalation if Washington resumed major combat operations.
However, its effectiveness against deeply buried nuclear facilities remains uncertain. The weapon is designed primarily for devastating large surface areas rather than penetrating heavily fortified underground structures.
Sources cited by CNN said the bomb could cause extensive destruction while raising concerns about civilian casualties, particularly if used against infrastructure near populated areas.
The plans reportedly form part of a broader range of military options prepared for Trump, who has repeatedly identified preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons as a central objective.
US rejects Iranian claims of maritime intimidation
Meanwhile, the US military has rejected Iranian allegations that American forces are using threatening language and emergency maritime communication channels to intimidate civilian sailors.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) described the accusations as false in a statement posted on X on Wednesday, defending the US blockade against Iran and saying it had been communicated professionally.
Iran had filed a formal protest with the International Maritime Organization the previous week, accusing US forces of turning an emergency communication channel into a tool of military intimidation and psychological pressure against civilian crews.
CENTCOM, in turn, accused Iran of being the only country attacking civilian mariners in regional waters. It said commercial traffic continued through the Strait of Hormuz under coordinated protection from US forces and regional partners.
The competing allegations come amid continuing tensions over maritime security and navigation through the strategic waterway, a major route for global energy shipments.
Drone strike injures three fishermen off southern Iran
Separately, three people were injured Wednesday when an unidentified drone struck a fishing boat off the coast of Sirik in Iran’s southern Hormozgan province, local authorities said.
According to a statement carried by the semi-official Tasnim news agency, the source of the drone had not been identified.
The injured fishermen were transported ashore by a small boat. Authorities provided no further details about the circumstances of the attack.
The incident adds to the security concerns surrounding Iran’s southern coastline as military and maritime tensions continue across the region.
Source:AA
