Trump Says He Hopes Iran War Is Nearing an End

President Donald Trump said that he hopes the war with Iran is nearing an end, even as the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and escalating conflict involving Saudi Arabia and Yemen’s Houthis continue.

“Hopefully we’re towards the end of the war. They want to make a deal, and we‘ll see how that works out,” Trump told reporters on Thursday. “Iran is very much wanting to make a deal. We’ll see how that works out.”

Trump’s remarks came as the United Nations prepares to host high-level meetings next week during the 81st session of the General Assembly in New York, where the conflicts involving Iran and regional security are expected to feature prominently in diplomatic discussions.

The Epoch Times reached out to the U.S. State Department, the White House, and the Gulf Cooperation Council for comment on planned meetings during the U.N. gatherings but didn’t receive a response by publication time.

Iran Conflict

Iran and the United States signed a preliminary agreement in June intended to halt the war that began in late February and fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The ceasefire collapsed on July 7 after Trump declared it over and ordered strikes, accusing Iran of attacking ships in the strategic waterway.

Since then, both sides have resumed military operations while diplomatic efforts have stalled.

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Tuesday that the conflict would enter what he described as a new phase in the coming months.

“There are really two phases to this thing, and the first phase is done,” Vance said. “The first phase was to destroy the nuclear program, destroy their conventional military, destroy their ability to project power in a way that they were able to even a couple of years ago.”

He said the second phase would ensure Iran could not rebuild those capabilities.

Although the U.S. military has not launched new strikes in more than a week, it has maintained a naval blockade on Iranian ports since earlier this summer, according to U.S. Central Command.

Central Command said on Tuesday that at least 103 ships had been redirected to enforce compliance with the blockade.

While Trump suggested Tehran is seeking negotiations, Iranian military officials continued to project a defiant stance.

Iran’s state-run IRNA news agency reported on Sept. 17 that Brig. Gen. Mohammad Karami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Ground Force, warned that any “miscalculation by the enemy” would receive a firm response.

Houthi Advances

The regional security picture has also become more complicated as fighting intensified between Saudi-backed forces and the Iran-backed Houthi terrorist group in Yemen.

Houthi military spokesman Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree said in a Sept. 16 statement that Saudi Arabia had carried out as many as 450 air strikes on Yemen during the week.

“We persist in our military operations toward the Saudi depth, in targeting Saudi mobilizations, and in establishing the equation of siege with siege and escalation with escalation until the aggression stops and the siege is lifted from our dear country,” Saree said.

Officials in Yemen’s internationally recognized, Saudi-backed government acknowledged that their forces and Saudi Arabia were carrying out air strikes against Houthi positions, although Riyadh has not publicly confirmed conducting the attacks.

The renewed fighting follows a sharp escalation earlier this month after a drone strike forced the shutdown of Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, significantly increasing concerns about regional energy security and prompting warnings over the security of shipping and energy infrastructure.

Saudi Arabia said the drone attack originated from Iraq.

Reuters contributed to this report.