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Donald Trump says war in Iran is ‘very complete’ following Putin phone call
The US president appears to have u-turned on his war plans
Donald Trump has claimed the war in Iran is now 'very complete' after talking to Vladimir Putin on the phone.
Giving an update to the ongoing conflict to CBS News, President Trump appeared to have an extraordinary change of heart over the future of the unfolding conflict in the Middle East, claiming that Iran now had 'nothing left'.
"I think the war is very complete, pretty much," he told the outlet.
"They have no navy, no communications, they've got no air force. Their missiles are down to a scatter. Their drones are being blown up all over the place, including their manufacturing of drones. If you look, they have nothing left. There's nothing left in a military sense."
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Trump also suggested the military operation, which the White House previously claimed could go on for 'more than a month' was 'very far ahead of schedule'.
"Wrapping up is all in my mind, nobody else's," he added.
The comments follow a phone call he reportedly held with the Russian president, who is a key ally of Iran.
The phone call was confirmed by Russia's Tass news agency, citing Kremlin foreign policy aide Yuri Ushakov, who claimed the talks lasted around an hour and were very constructive.
It's also understood the pair discussed Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine as well as the situation in Venezuela.
Trump's apparent change of heart will come as a surprise to many, as the 79-year-old previously appeared committed to seeing through the intervention in Iran, particularly with strikes ongoing and the president promising 'complete destruction'.
He also made his distaste towards Iran's new supreme leader - Mojtaba Khamenei - extremely clear, suggesting that he would be open to assassinating him as he did with his father, should he not agree to abandon his country's nuclear program.
A pause in conflict would probably be good news for the whole world, given the rising concerns about the possibility of a third world war, but it would be particularly good news for countries in the Middle East and the gulf who have been drawn into this war.
Seven US troops have already died in the conflict and while Trump previously suggested that more could follow, his latest quotes imply that the fighting may soon come to an end.
Iran strikes: what you need to know
Why are the United States and Israel attacking Iran?
US President Donald Trump announced on Saturday (28 February) that the US and Israel have started 'major combat operations' in Iran after explosions were heard in multiple cities across the country.
Following a significant buildup of US forces in the region in recent weeks, Trump declared in a video posted on Truth Social that 'we are going to destroy their missiles and raze their missile industry to the ground'.
Alongside hundreds of civilian casualties - including at least 165 people, most children, after a reported strike hit a school in Minab - Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was confirmed dead following Israeli missile strikes around Tehran.
According to Trump, the aim of this weekend's attacks were to 'ensure that Iran does not obtain a nuclear weapon'.
This has come after weeks of Trump threatening military action in Iran if the Middle Eastern country did not agree to a new deal over its nuclear programme. However, Iran has insisted repeatedly that its nuclear activities are 'entirely peaceful'.
What areas of the Middle East have been affected?
In retaliation to the US and Israeli strikes, Iran has launched strikes of its own on Israel and Gulf Arab countries, which include Qatar, the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait.
The BBC reports that at least nine people were killed in a strike on the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, while military and civilian targets - including an American naval base in Bahrain and Dubai's international airport in the United Arab Emirates - were also targeted across the weekend.
Several videos have been posted on social media from tourists and civilians that show the damage inflicted across these areas from missile and drone strikes, including many British citizens who are currently stranded in Dubai.
Meanwhile, after Lebanon's Iranian-backed militia Hezbollah fired missiles at the Israeli city of Haifa, Israel responded with its own strikes.
On Tuesday (3 March), Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz promised IDF troops on the ground would 'advance and seize additional strategic areas in Lebanon in order to prevent fire on Israeli border communities'.
Is the UK going to war with Iran?
This is a question that has been asked repeatedly since the major combat operation began in Iran, due to the nation being an ally of both the United States and Israel.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that British planes were 'in the sky' in the Middle East as part of a defensive operation 'to protect our people, our interests and our allies', and condemned Iran's retaliatory attacks on 'partners across the region'.
On Sunday (1 March), the prime minister also agreed to a request from the US to launch strikes against Iran from British military bases.
While the UK did not participate in the strikes, Starmer released a joint statement with the leaders of France and Germany, calling for Iran to 'refrain from indiscriminate military strikes'.
"Iran can end this now," Starmer said. "They should refrain from further strikes, give up their weapons programme and cease the appalling violence and oppression of the Iranian people – who deserve the right to determine their own future."
However, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Yvette Cooper, has said it is 'simply not true' that the UK is being dragged into another Iraq-style conflict in the Middle East.
While addressing a reported drone strike on a RAF base in Cyprus believed to have originated from Iran-backed militia Hezbollah, she told Sky News on Monday, 2 March: "We took a very specific decision not to provide support for strikes that were taking place over this weekend. We have been clear that we believe there should be a diplomatic process, negotiations process."
Trump, for his part, slammed Starmer on Tuesday, saying he 'has not been helpful' in the context of the situation in Iran.
He added: "It's very sad to see that the relationship is obviously not what it was."
More to follow.
Topics: Donald Trump, Iran, Vladimir Putin, World News
Brenna Cooper