Washington, Aug 2026 : US President Donald Trump has said the ongoing war with Iran could end “fairly soon”, while claiming that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei was seriously wounded but remained alive. Trump made the remarks during an interview with conservative broadcaster Glenn Beck, offering his assessment of the Iranian leadership and the broader military campaign.
“I don't think he's dead. He was very seriously wounded,” Trump said, while describing injuries that he claimed affected the left side of Khamenei’s body, including his arm and leg. However, Trump did not provide evidence to substantiate his account of the Iranian leader’s condition.
The US President suggested that Iranian officials continued to refer to consultations with Khamenei, saying that they appeared to be seeking his approval on important decisions. Trump acknowledged that the reports could be part of a deliberate effort to project continuity within Iran’s leadership.
Trump also claimed that US forces had destroyed 22 boats overnight during operations linked to the blockade. Praising the US military and Navy, he said American forces had been effective in preventing attempts to challenge the blockade.
The President expressed confidence that the US campaign would soon result in what he described as a major victory. Referring to previous US actions abroad, Trump said Washington had achieved a victory in Venezuela and predicted a similar outcome in Iran.
Asked why there had not been a major uprising against the Iranian government, Trump said protesters were facing heavily armed security forces and snipers. He argued that people would be reluctant to take to the streets when they believed they could be shot or killed.
Trump maintained that Iran had been significantly weakened by the military campaign. He claimed the country’s navy and air force had effectively been destroyed and said economic pressures were also mounting, with some soldiers allegedly not receiving their salaries and inflation rising sharply.
“There is a chance, because they have become very much weakened,” Trump said, arguing that Iran’s military capabilities had suffered extensive damage.
A major focus of Trump’s comments was the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route. He said the waterway remained operational despite attacks and claimed that mines had been cleared. According to Trump, substantial volumes of oil were continuing to pass through the strait.
“The mines are gone,” Trump said, adding that the waterway was functioning and that large quantities of oil were moving through it. He claimed that around 10 million barrels of oil had passed through the strait in a single day.
Trump reiterated that preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon remained the central objective of the US military campaign. He argued that Tehran could not be permitted to develop such a capability, describing the issue as the overwhelming reason behind the conflict.
“We cannot let Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said, warning that Iran could potentially use such a weapon if it acquired one.
The President also acknowledged the impact of the conflict on energy prices and said the military confrontation had forced his administration to take what he called a “detour”. However, he insisted that the disruption would be temporary and claimed that prices were already falling rapidly.
Trump had earlier indicated that US military action against Iran could conclude “fairly soon”, although he did not provide a specific timeline or explain what conditions would lead to an end to the fighting.
The President also defended his decision during his first term to withdraw the United States from the 2015 Iran nuclear agreement, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Trump has long argued that the agreement failed to provide sufficient guarantees against Iran developing nuclear weapons and has continued to cite the nuclear issue as a key justification for US pressure on Tehran.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
