Trump says US could end Iran war quickly or let it "wither"

Summary

President Donald Trump said on Friday that the United States could end the war with Iran quickly, but he questioned whether Washington should seek a swift conclusion or let the conflict wind down gradually. Speaking to reporters on the White House South Lawn as he left for a trip to Florida, he said, "We could end it very quickly," and asked, "Do we want to finish it off or just want to let it wither?" He said oil was getting out through the Strait of Hormuz and that the US Navy had done a "great job" helping secure its passage through the waterway. He repeated an earlier claim that Hormuz was "totally ours and that's the way we'll keep it," adding, "We are getting everything we want."

Timeline

1. Middle East Eye

   23 Oct 2026, 15:50 UTCSource ↗

   Middle East Eye reports that Trump said the US could end the war with Iran very quickly but questioned whether to finish it off or let it wither, and that he repeated that Hormuz was "totally ours."