Trump Declares Iran War Nearly Over: ‘The War is Very Complete, Pretty Much’

President Donald Trump on Monday declared the war in Iran was “very complete” while issuing a grim warning to the country.

The president spoke on the phone with CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang. During their phone call, Trump suggested the war had been a success and that the operation was actually far ahead of schedule. In a tweet thread detailing the call, Jiang said:

In a phone interview, President Trump told me the war could be over soon: “I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force.” He added that the U.S. is “very far” ahead of his initial 4-5 week estimated time frame.

The day before, Iran selected Mojtaba Khamenei as its new supreme leader. The son of the recently killed Ali Khamenei, Mojtaba is viewed by some as a continuation of his father’s rule. Trump has previously expressed his disapproval of the pick.

When Jiang asked him about Mojtaba, Trump said he had “no message” for the new supreme leader and also claimed he had a replacement in mind. Earlier reporting from The Wall Street Journal indicated that Trump would support an operation to kill Mojtaba.

On the topic of the Strait of Hormuz, Trump revealed that he’s considering “taking it over.” He then warned Iran against trying “anything cute.” Jiang continued:

As for the Straight of Hormuz, Trump noted that ships are moving through now, but he is “thinking about taking it over.”

Trump warned Iran, “They’ve shot everything they have to shoot, and they better not try anything cute or it’s going to be the end of that country.”

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