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The president promises a quick exit. The world isn’t so sure.
Here’s a sentence you don’t hear every day: “We’ll be leaving very soon,” said the leader of the world’s most powerful military, about a war that’s currently blocking one-fifth of the planet’s oil supply, rattling global markets, and drawing in allies who definitely didn’t sign up for this.
How Did We Get Here?
In late February, the U.S. and Israel launched joint strikes on Iranian military targets, citing concerns over Tehran’s missile capabilities and nuclear ambitions. Iran responded, not with a white flag, but with drone strikes on U.S. bases, attacks on oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz, and a de facto blockade of one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.
Fast-forward to Day 33 of what’s being called Operation Epic Fury by the Trump Administration gas prices have jumped over a dollar, 13 U.S. service members are dead, and the global supply chain is groaning under the weight of rerouted cargo ships.
And now, President Trump says it could all wrap up in “two to three weeks.”
“We’re Leaving. Soon.”
In remarks Tuesday, the president struck a note of imminent closure:
“We leave because there’s no reason for us to do this. We’ll be leaving very soon.”
He added that gas prices would “come tumbling down” once U.S. forces depart, and shrugged off the blocked Strait of Hormuz: “We’re not going to have anything to do with it.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the timeline, stating the primary goal, preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon, had been “achieved.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, visiting troops in the region, said he witnessed “an urgency to finish the job.”
But “leaving” and “ending the conflict” aren’t the same thing. Trump’s comments didn’t clarify:
- What happens to the 20,000+ seafarers currently stranded near the Strait
- Whether U.S. intelligence or advisory roles continue post-withdrawal
- How regional allies, many of whom are absorbing Iranian retaliation, will be supported
Iran Isn’t Reading the Same Script
Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, flatly rejected the notion of imminent talks:
“Negotiation is when two countries engage in talks to reach an agreement, and such a thing does not exist between us and the United States.”
While Washington talks exit ramps, the region is still accelerating.
- Iran struck an oil tanker off Qatar and hit fuel depots at Kuwait’s airport
- Israeli forces reported hitting 230 targets in Tehran
- Yemen’s Houthi rebels claimed missile attacks on Israel
“This Is Not Our War”
Trump’s “we’re leaving soon” message hasn’t exactly reassured partners. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer addressed the nation Wednesday, reiterating:
“This is not our war, and we’re not going to get dragged into it.”
Australian PM Anthony Albanese announced a temporary fuel tax cut to cushion economic shocks, warning:
“The reality is, the economic shocks caused by this war will be with us for months.”
And in a move that raised eyebrows, Trump told The Telegraph he’s reconsidering U.S. commitment to NATO, calling the alliance a “paper tiger.”
Trump’s promised address tonight (9 p.m. ET) will likely offer more clarity, or more ambiguity.
www.opb.org What’s certain: the gap between “we’re leaving soon” and “the conflict is resolved” is where geopolitics gets messy.
