President Donald Trump gestures after stepping off Air Force. AP
In a phone interview with CBS News, Trump said the conflict had progressed faster than expected.
“We are far ahead of the initial timeframe for the war, which we estimated at four to five weeks,” he said.
Trump claimed Iran had lost key military capabilities. “They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no air force,” he said.
However, he warned Tehran against further attacks, saying Iranian forces had “fired on all targets”.
“If the Iranians try any provocative actions, it will be the end of that country,” Trump said. “They’ve shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute.”
Asked about Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said he had no message for him.
“I have no message for him. None, whatsoever,” Trump said, adding that he had someone in mind to replace him but declining to provide details.
Trump also raised the possibility of greater US control over the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway through which roughly a fifth of the world’s crude oil supply passes.
Ships were currently moving through the strait, he said, but added that he was “thinking about taking it over”.
Oil prices surge
Oil prices have surged since the United States and Israel launched attacks on Iran on 28 February, climbing above $100 a barrel for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The spike has been driven largely by disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for global energy supplies.
Trump has faced growing pressure at home to curb rising fuel prices as the war continues.
“The White House is in constant coordination with the relevant agencies on this important issue,” spokesperson Taylor Rogers said in a statement.
Trump has said the disruption will be temporary and that oil prices will fall once the war ends.
Trump said last week that the US Navy was ready to escort tankers through the strait "if necessary" and ordered the United States to provide insurance for commercial shipping.
There has, however, been no sign yet of such US escorts.
Putin proposes quick end to conflict
Meanwhile, Trump held a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the war in Iran and the conflict in Ukraine.
The Kremlin described the conversation as “constructive and frank” and said Putin proposed several ideas to end the fighting quickly.
Putin also said Russia would continue supplying oil to “reliable partners” in Asia as well as European Union (EU) members Hungary and Slovakia.
"If European companies and European buyers suddenly decide to reorient themselves and provide us with long-term, sustainable cooperation, devoid of political pressures, free from political pressures, then go ahead. We've never refused," Putin said.
"We're ready to work with Europeans, but we need some signals from them that they're ready and willing to work with us and will ensure this sustainability and stability," he added.
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