Trump said he would end the war in Iran within "two to three weeks" and leave the Strait of Hormuz to other countries to resolve on their own

# Li Dan, Ye Zhen

Source: Wall Street CN

Donald Trump said the U.S. will end its military campaign against Iran within “two to three weeks,” potentially reaching an agreement with Iran beforehand. He also expressed strong dissatisfaction with U.S. allies for failing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, stating that the U.S. will no longer assist other countries and will leave the Strait of Hormuz issue for other nations to resolve on their own.

U.S. President Donald Trump announced that he expects to end the war with Iran in two to three weeks. This clear timeline has greatly eased investor concerns about the Middle East conflict’s long-term disruption to the global economy and directly propelled U.S. stocks to their largest single-day gain in ten months.

According to Xinhua News Agency, U.S. President Donald Trump stated at the White House on the evening of March 31 that the U.S. will end its military operations against Iran within “two to three weeks,” and may reach an agreement with Iran before then.

Trump said the U.S. core military objective of preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons has been achieved, and U.S. troops will withdraw soon regardless of whether a final deal is reached. Boosted by this statement and Iran’s reiteration of its willingness to end the conflict, risk aversion on Wall Street cooled significantly. The S&P 500 surged 2.9% on Tuesday’s close, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 3.8%.

Signs that the conflict is nearing its end also caused divergence in energy markets. Although the May Brent crude contract closed higher at $118.35 per barrel on Tuesday, the more actively traded June contract fell about 2.5% in late trading.

While expectations of an imminent U.S. withdrawal calmed markets, Trump voiced strong frustration with U.S. allies for not assisting in reopening the Strait of Hormuz. He said the U.S. will no longer help other countries secure passage through the strait and will leave the issue of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz for other nations to handle on their own. This means long-term volatility risks for global supply chains and energy markets will persist even if the fighting stops.

### Trump Says U.S. Core Military Objective Has Been Achieved

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump emphasized that U.S. military operations in Iran are coming to an end because “we have no reason to continue doing this.”

According to reports, Trump declared that the sole goal of preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons has been fulfilled:

> “Regime change has now occurred. Regime change was never one of my objectives. I had only one goal—that they cannot have nuclear weapons—and that goal has been achieved. They will not have nuclear weapons.”

He added that Iran’s “new regime” is more communicative than before the war, and the possibility of a deal remains, though it is not a prerequisite for U.S. troop withdrawal.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the next few days will be decisive for the conflict, and the U.S. is prepared to escalate strikes if Iran refuses to reach an agreement. Meanwhile, Iran’s president reiterated openness to ending the war but on the condition of receiving “guarantees” against further U.S.-Israeli attacks.

### Strait of Hormuz Navigation Issue Remains Unresolved

Reopening the Strait of Hormuz was once seen as a central issue of the conflict, but the Trump administration has recently indicated it is no longer a necessary condition for ending the war.

Reports say Trump is furious that NATO members and other allies have not provided sufficient assistance, bluntly stating that countries like France need to “stand on their own” to resolve crude oil transportation issues.

Analysts point out that if the issue of navigation rights in the strait remains unresolved, future volatility in the global economy could be hard to mitigate. Since the war erupted in March, international oil prices have seen historic turmoil, with Brent crude surging 63.3% in March and U.S. WTI crude rising 51.3% over the same period.

### Trump Administration Faces Political Pressure

As the conflict drags on, the economic and political costs for the U.S. are mounting. The average U.S. gasoline price has topped $4 per gallon for the first time since 2022, directly increasing consumer burdens.

Reports indicate the White House’s biggest current concern is the economic shock from the war, with senior officials increasingly focused on the risk this poses to Republicans retaining control of Congress in the November midterm elections.

White House spokesperson Kush Desai sought to calm markets in a statement, saying military operations represent only a short-term disruption, the U.S. long-term economic trajectory remains solid, and the administration will continue advancing economic agendas such as tax cuts and deregulation.

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