Washington, October 2026 : US President Donald Trump on Friday said the United States could bring its conflict with Iran to a swift conclusion, but indicated that his administration was weighing whether to intensify military action or allow economic pressure to further weaken Tehran.
Speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn before departing for a campaign rally in Florida, Trump portrayed Washington as having gained significant leverage over Iran through its military campaign and restrictions on Iranian oil exports.
“We can end it very quickly, but Iran is a failing nation,” Trump said.
He suggested that the United States could either pursue a decisive military conclusion or maintain the current pressure until Iran’s position deteriorated further.
“The question is, do we want to finish it off, or do we just want to let it wither?” he said, adding, “Because we’re getting everything we want.”
Trump’s remarks indicated that the administration was assessing the next phase of the confrontation, although he did not outline a specific timeline for ending the conflict or announce any new military decisions.
The President placed particular emphasis on the Strait of Hormuz, a strategically vital maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf with international shipping routes. The waterway is crucial to global energy markets because substantial volumes of crude oil and petroleum products transit through it.
Trump claimed that US naval operations had restricted Iran’s access to the route while allowing other oil shipments to continue.
“We’re taking all the oil out that we want,” he said.
Referring to the US blockade, he added, “We have it blocked up for them, but nobody else.”
Trump also claimed that oil shipments through the strait had increased beyond levels recorded before the war. “In fact, last week we took more oil out than we have ever taken it out, even before the war,” he said.
The President argued that the military campaign and restrictions on Iranian oil exports were putting increasing pressure on Tehran’s finances.
“So we have that, and they have inflation, they have no money,” he said.
The conflict has raised concerns about the security of commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and the potential consequences for international oil supplies and prices. Any sustained disruption to the waterway could affect energy-importing countries and global markets.
Trump did not specify what further military action he might authorise, nor did he clarify whether renewed negotiations with Iran were being considered as a route towards ending hostilities.
His comments came amid continuing tensions in the Middle East and ahead of the US midterm elections, with the administration facing decisions over military strategy, regional security and the economic consequences of the conflict.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
