Trump sees the war “practically over” and says he is considering taking the Strait of Hormuz

U.S. President Donald Trump, assured this Monday in an interview with CBS News that the war with Iran is “practically over” and that he is considering “taking control” of the Strait of Hormuz, through which he claims ships are already transiting.

“I think the war is practically over,” Trump declared in a phone call with the network, in which he assured that Washington and Israel are “very ahead of schedule (for Operation Epic Fury)” and that Tehran “has no navy, no communications, and no air force.”

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“Their missiles are scattered. Their drones are being destroyed everywhere, including their drone manufacturing,” asserted the Republican, who originally spoke of the campaign against Iran possibly lasting about 4-5 weeks. In the same call, the US president also stated that the Strait of Hormuz is already open and that there are ships crossing it, but added that he is “considering taking control” of this vital maritime passage for the global economy. Ormuz, where merchant traffic has been practically paralyzed by the war, is the only way out of the Persian Gulf to reach the Indian Ocean, and through it 20% of the world’s crude oil and also significant amounts of liquefied natural gas (LNG) circulate. The publication of Trump’s interview has shaken the markets, with the Texas crude oil barrel falling in a matter of minutes from $115 to $85 and the Dow Jones Industrial closing with a rise of half a percentage point after trading all day in negative territory. When asked about the appointment of Mojtaba Jameneí as the new supreme leader of Iran, Trump said in turn that he has “no message for him. None whatsoever.” Trump, who had considered the appointment of Ali Jamenei’s son (deceased in the first US and Israeli attacks on Iran last February 28) as the new head of state unacceptable, also added in the interview that he has another person in mind to lead the country, although he did not add more details.