DORAL, Florida — President Donald Trump on Monday called the war in Iran “short-term” — suggesting the conflict could be nearing its end, but provided no timetable for when it could end.
“We took a little excursion because we felt we had to do that to get rid of some evil. And I think you’ll see it’s going to be a short-term excursion,” Trump said. “How good is our military, right? Amazing. How good? Short term. Short term.”
Trump was speaking to House Republicans and donors at his resort outside of Miami. Republicans are meeting there until Wednesday to discuss legislation and their campaign strategy for the November midterm elections.
“This was just an excursion into something that had to be done. We’re getting very close to finishing that,” Trump added.
Trump’s remarks come just one day after oil prices soared to $100 per barrel. AAA said a gallon of regular gas now costs $3.48, up from $2.90 a month ago.
“It’s going to be ended soon,” Trump later said during a news conference. However, the president did not provide any details on a timetable. Trump warned that the U.S. would retaliate with immense force if the Iranians attacked U.S. ships.
“So the Strait of Hormuz is going to remain safe. We have a lot of Navy ships there. We have best equipment in the world. Again, most of their ships are down at the bottom of the sea,” Trump told reporters. “But we will hit them so hard it will not be possible for them or anybody else helping them ever recover that section of the world they do anything.”
During the news conference, Trump was asked about the strike on an Iranian girls’ school that killed more than 170 people. Trump he hadn’t seen the footage and suggested, without offering any evidence, that the Tomahawk could have been fired by Iran.
“I will say that the Tomahawk, which is one of the most powerful weapons around … is sold and used by other countries. And whether it’s Iran, who also has some Tomahawks, I wish they had more. But whether it’s Iran or somebody else, the fact that a Tomahawk, a Tomahawk, is very generic,” Trump told reporters.
“It’s sold to other countries, but that’s being investigated right now,” he said.
Iran is not known to have any Tomahawk missiles.
The Pentagon has said it is still investigating the strike that hit the school.
“Whatever the report shows, I’m willing to live with that report,” Trump said.
