US President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran will end “very soon”, while questioning who in Tehran Washington could negotiate with, as fresh attacks hit oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz.
“I don’t know who the hell to deal with. There’s nobody to deal with,” Trump told a rally in Alabama, adding: “Knock knock, nobody home.” The war would end “one way or the other”, he said. “It’s gonna end very soon, and probably right after the midterms,” Dawn reported, citing Al Jazeera.
On Saturday, Trump also claimed that Iran had “virtually given up any plans of a nuclear weapon”, and that oil prices were coming down, The Express Tribune reported. Iran has always denied seeking nuclear weapons.
Tankers struck near Hormuz
Two oil tankers were hit by unidentified projectiles, according to the UK Maritime Trade Operations agency:
- First attack: a tanker leaving the strait suffered “a small fire and blackout onboard”; the fire was put out and the ship continued its journey
- Second attack: hours later, a crude oil tanker east of Oman was struck by an “unknown projectile”
No casualties or environmental damage were reported.
Iran: strait stays shut
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz would not reopen until Iran’s seven conditions under the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, the June interim agreement with the US, were met. “The period of dragging out the process and dictating one-sided demands is over,” he said.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there was “no military solution, nor any solution based on new sanctions”, warning that any new attack would meet a stronger response. Iran’s army is also launching a volunteer training programme for “national defence”.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the US blockade of Hormuz remained “ironclad”, and that Trump had “options” if Iran continued to “play games”.
“Illegal war of choice”
US Senator Chris Van Hollen accused the administration of preparing to expand the war, and urged Congress to cut off funding for what he called an “illegal war of choice”. “The president, who continues to hide service member casualties, is now sending up to another 10,000 troops,” he wrote on X.
Reports say the Pentagon is preparing to send a third aircraft carrier strike group as Trump considers resuming strikes after the midterm elections in early November.
Iran’s “surprises”
The deputy commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Maj Gen Mostafa Izadi, said Iran’s forces had made major technological progress and had “surprises” in store for their enemies.
Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told the UN General Assembly last month that Iran does not seek nuclear weapons because of a religious prohibition, and offered to dilute its enriched uranium under international verification.
Why it matters
The war, now in its eighth month since the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28, has kept oil prices high and disrupted Gulf shipping, hurting import-dependent countries like Pakistan. Pakistan, which has worked to mediate between the two sides, has a direct stake in any deal. Read our report on Iran’s plans for a harsher response.
This article draws on reporting by Dawn, The Express Tribune, Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency.
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