U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that the U.S. conflict with Iran will end very soon.
"It's going to end very soon," Trump told KCMO radio in an interview, saying the prices of fuel and other goods will fall as a result.
He added that the United States would not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.
The U.S. military is prepared to launch a new round of large-scale strikes on Iran, and President Trump could issue the order after the U.S. midterm elections in November, according to recent U.S. media reports.
U.S. reports said the U.S. Navy's USS Theodore Roosevelt carrier strike group is expected to be deployed to the Middle East in late November, a move that could establish a three-carrier presence in the region.
At least 10 large U.S. military transport aircraft have flown into Israel's Ovda and Nevatim air bases in recent days, Israeli sources said on Thursday.
However, Iran's Tasnim news agency reported on Thursday that Tehran had received a letter from U.S. Vice President JD Vance to an Iranian top security official, but has not responded yet.
Iran insists the United States fulfill its seven conditions and that "any position that disrupts this definitive framework of Iran is unacceptable," Tasnim said.
Iran conveyed a seven-day plan containing its conditions for ending the war and reopening the Strait of Hormuz to the United States through mediators on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York on Sept. 22. Tehran and Washington have reportedly continued exchanging messages on the proposal through intermediaries, including Qatar.
Wang Jin, a Middle East expert and associate professor from China's Northwest University, said the U.S. approach is characterized by a seemingly contradictory mix of a hardline stance and an openness to dialogue.
"The U.S. approach to Iran is characterized by a seemingly contradictory mix of a hardline stance and an openness to dialogue. The hardline stance is the dominant feature of recent U.S. policy. One reason is with midterm elections approaching, Washington needs to adopt a tough position to secure domestic backing for its Middle East policy. The other is that Washington hopes to maintain pressure and compel Iran to make concessions," Wang said.
Trump says conflict with Iran expected to "end very soon"
Trump says conflict with Iran expected to "end very soon"
