Key Points
- President Trump declared to Fox News the U.S.-Iran conflict is “very close to being over”
- Peace negotiations scheduled to continue in Pakistan in coming days
- U.S. armed forces have executed a comprehensive naval embargo across Iranian ports
- Current ceasefire agreement between Washington and Tehran extends through April 21
- Brent crude oil trading near $95 per barrel, significantly elevated from pre-conflict prices
President Donald Trump has indicated the U.S.-Iran conflict is approaching its conclusion, despite American military forces maintaining strict control over Iranian maritime trade channels. The president’s remarks came during a conversation with Fox Business host Maria Bartiromo, scheduled for broadcast Wednesday morning.
“I think it’s close to over, yeah. I view it as very close to being over,” Trump said.
Hostilities commenced February 28, following synchronized military operations by the U.S. and Israel targeting Iran. The assault resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and inflicted substantial damage upon Iranian military and governmental infrastructure.
Thirteen American military personnel have lost their lives during the confrontation. Casualties numbering in the thousands have been reported throughout the broader region.
The president has consistently maintained that U.S. military operations have “decimated” Iranian defense capabilities. Tehran has generally disputed these assertions.
An interim ceasefire arrangement remains active, valid through April 21. Initial peace discussions took place in Pakistan over the previous weekend, headed by Vice President JD Vance alongside senior administration representatives.
Those initial negotiations yielded no concrete agreement. Vance characterized the discussions as productive but emphasized that Tehran now bears responsibility for advancement.
“The ball is very much in their court,” Vance said.
Subsequent negotiation sessions are anticipated to commence Thursday. The Associated Press has indicated that intermediaries are addressing three primary areas of contention: Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, the Strait of Hormuz closure, and financial reparations for war damages.
Naval Embargo Fully Operational
This past Monday, Trump authorized a comprehensive naval embargo affecting all Iranian maritime facilities. U.S. Central Command verified Tuesday that the blockade had been successfully implemented.
“U.S. forces have completely halted economic trade going into and out of Iran by sea,” Central Command said.
The embargo strategy was apparently intended to increase leverage against Iran before renewed diplomatic engagement.
Nevertheless, the Wall Street Journal has documented that more than 20 commercial ships have recently traversed the Strait of Hormuz, indicating potential resumption of limited waterway traffic.
Crude Prices Stay High
Oil markets continue monitoring the situation intensely. Brent crude futures registered $95.10 per barrel Wednesday morning, representing a 0.3% daily increase. U.S. West Texas Intermediate stood at $91.12, showing marginal decline.
Both benchmarks continue substantially exceeding pre-war price levels.
Trump also hinted the U.S. is not fully done with military operations. “If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished,” he said.
He added that Iran “wants to make a deal very badly.”
In related diplomatic developments, Israel and Lebanon conducted their first direct negotiations in decades this week in Washington. Israeli forces have maintained operations against Hezbollah positions in Lebanon, potentially jeopardizing the wider ceasefire arrangement.
