President Donald Trump has said the war with Iran will “end pretty soon” and claimed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global shipping route, is “sort of open,” even as Saudi Arabia warns of imminent coordinated attacks and tensions continue to build across the Gulf and Red Sea.
US President Donald Trump has predicted that the war with Iran will “end pretty soon,” while claiming that the Strait of Hormuz is “sort of open” for shipping. Trump also dismissed suggestions that the United States was running low on key munitions, insisting the country holds “massive amounts” of ammunition. His comments came as Iran said a deal with Oman to fully reopen shipping through the Strait was close to being finalised, and as Saudi Arabia warned of possible coordinated attacks against it in the days ahead.
Trump’s comments on the war and munitions
Speaking amid ongoing tensions in the region, Trump struck an optimistic tone about the trajectory of the conflict with Iran, predicting it would come to an end in the near future. He also pushed back on concerns that US ammunition stockpiles were being depleted by the conflict, saying the country possesses substantial reserves.
Strait of Hormuz negotiations
According to Trump, the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important shipping routes, is now “sort of open.” The waterway, which at its narrowest point measures around 21 miles (33km) across, with designated shipping lanes in each direction separated by a buffer zone, carries roughly one-fifth of global oil consumption each day. Any disruption to shipping through the Strait can have an immediate effect on global oil prices, insurance costs and international supply chains.
Iran has said a deal with Oman to fully reopen shipping through the Strait is close to being agreed. Under the terms reportedly being discussed, the arrangement could grant Tehran a degree of control over vessels entering the Gulf through the waterway. Oman has traditionally played the role of a neutral mediator in the region, frequently hosting indirect negotiations between Iran and Western or Gulf states aimed at easing tensions.
Iran has previously threatened to close or restrict the Strait of Hormuz during past periods of heightened tension with the United States and its allies, though it has never fully blocked commercial shipping through the route. The United States maintains a significant naval presence in the Gulf through its Fifth Fleet, headquartered in Bahrain, with safeguarding freedom of navigation through the Strait considered one of its core missions.
Saudi Arabia warns of coordinated attacks
A senior Saudi official said on Thursday that the kingdom expects imminent coordinated attacks from both the north and south, carried out by Iraqi militias and Yemen’s Houthi movement under the supervision of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC is Iran’s elite military force, responsible for many of the country’s overseas military operations and its support for allied armed groups across the Middle East.
Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states have previously accused Iran-backed groups, including the Houthis and Iraqi militias, of coordinating attacks on energy infrastructure and shipping in the region. Energy analysts have cautioned that even short of a full closure of the Strait, increased military activity or attacks on commercial vessels can significantly raise shipping costs and add volatility to global energy markets.
Regional diplomacy continues
Amid the rising tensions, Pakistan’s Prime Minister arrived in Saudi Arabia ahead of scheduled meetings. Pakistan has sought to maintain relations with both Saudi Arabia and Iran, generally urging restraint while avoiding direct involvement in regional conflicts.
Trump’s remarks came as diplomatic efforts continued in parallel with the ongoing military tensions, with regional powers working to prevent the conflict from escalating into a wider Middle East war.
