US President Trump Russian President Putin discussed the iran war during a one-hour phone call on Monday.
The Russian leader called for a quick political and diplomatic settlement to the conflict. The two leaders also discussed the war in Ukraine and ongoing negotiations between Washington and Moscow. The coversation, described as “serious and constructive,” was the first between Trump and Putin since December.
After holding a phone conversation with Putin,Trump said the conflict in Iran could end soon, even as Tehran insisted it would decide when the war ends.
Speaking at a news conference in Florida on Monday, Trump said the US was making rapid progress in its military campaign against Iran and suggested that the objectives of the operation were nearly complete.
“We are achieving major strides towards completing our military objective,” Trump said, adding that the campaign was moving “well ahead of schedule”.
However, he indicated that the conflict was unlikely to end this week.
Trump also stressed that the US was determined to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping and warned Iran against attempting to block the crucial oil transit route.
He said the security of the strait was particularly important for countries such as China, which depend heavily on energy supplies passing through the waterway.
“We’re really helping China here and other countries because they get a lot of their energy from the straits,” Trump said, adding that he maintained a good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Trump also referred to a planned visit to China later this month.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps rejected Trump’s suggestion that the war could end soon.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Guards said Tehran — not Washington — would determine the outcome of the conflict.
“It is we who will determine the end of the war,” the statement said, adding that the future of the region now rested in the hands of Iran’s armed forces.
Trump also suggested that the US may temporarily ease certain oil sanctions to help stabilise global energy prices, which have surged amid the conflict.
“In some countries, we’re going to take those sanctions off until this straightens out,” he said, without naming the countries that could receive relief.
Oil prices had climbed above $118 a barrel over the weekend before easing towards $90 on Monday after Trump’s remarks raised hopes that the conflict could end soon.
The White House said the administration was reviewing options to stabilise energy markets, insisting the spike in prices was temporary.
US officials also stressed that the country was not dependent on oil shipments passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump also commented on Iran’s decision to appoint Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as the country’s new supreme leader.
The US president said he was disappointed by the choice and suggested it could prolong tensions. “I was disappointed because we think it’s going to lead to more of the same problems,” Trump said.
Mojtaba Khamenei, a 56-year-old cleric with close ties to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, was appointed about a week after his father was killed in US-Israel air strikes.
Thousands of supporters gathered in Tehran on Monday to show allegiance to the new leader, waving flags and chanting slogans against the US and Israel.
