Iranian officials have rejected comments by U.S. President Donald Trump suggesting that the ongoing conflict involving Iran could end in the near future, insisting that Tehran, not Washington, will determine when hostilities come to a close.
Trump made the remarks while addressing U.S. lawmakers on Monday, saying the fighting could wrap up “soon,” though he did not provide a specific timeframe.
“It’s going to be ended soon, and if it starts up again they’ll be hit even harder,” the U.S. president stated.
When pressed to clarify whether “soon” meant within a week, Trump responded that he believed it would end soon but stopped short of giving a definite timeline.
Later the same day, Trump issued a stern warning to Tehran, stating that any attempt by Iran to disrupt global oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz would trigger a far stronger U.S. response.
“If they stop the flow of oil, they will be hit by the United States of America twenty times harder than they have been hit thus far,” he said.
The tensions have also rattled global energy markets. Oil prices, which surged to about $120 per barrel, their highest level since 2022, fell to around $90 per barrel on Tuesday, marking the first decline since the conflict escalated in the Middle East.
Iran, however, dismissed the U.S. president’s comments.
A spokesperson for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said Tehran would decide the timeline for ending the conflict.
“Iran will determine when the war ends,” the spokesperson said, warning that continued U.S. and Israeli attacks could prompt Tehran to halt oil exports from the region.
In a separate interview with PBS News, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said diplomatic engagement with Washington is currently off the table following what he described as a painful experience during previous negotiations over Iran’s nuclear programme.
“They told us they had no intention of attacking Iran and that they wanted a peaceful solution to the nuclear issue,” Araghchi said. “Yet they ultimately chose to strike us.”
The foreign minister added that Iran would continue to defend its sovereignty amid the ongoing conflict.
