President Donald Trump said Friday that the conflict with Iran is nearing its conclusion, signaling that U.S. military objectives in the region are close to being achieved. “We are getting very close to meeting our objectives as we consider winding down our great Military efforts in the Middle East,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The president outlined several goals he said are nearing completion, including degrading Iran’s missile systems, dismantling its defense production capabilities, eliminating its Navy and Air Force, preventing the regime from obtaining nuclear weapons, and protecting allied nations, The Epoch Times reported.
Trump said future responsibility for securing the Strait of Hormuz should fall to allied nations that rely on the vital shipping lane. “The Hormuz Strait will have to be guarded and policed, as necessary, by other Nations who use it — The United States does not!” Trump wrote. “If asked, we will help these Countries in their Hormuz efforts, but it shouldn’t be necessary once Iran’s threat is eradicated,” he said.
The president described maintaining security in the strait as manageable, calling it “an easy military operation.” Speaking at the White House, Trump said Operation Epic Fury, launched Feb. 28, has significantly weakened Iran’s military capabilities.
“We’re doing extremely well in Iran,” Trump said. “They have no Navy anymore … and we have the greatest Navy anywhere in the world, and it’s not even close.”
Trump said joint U.S. and Israeli operations have severely degraded Iran’s naval, air, and air defense systems. He also claimed leadership disruptions within Iran’s government.
“Their leaders are all gone,” Trump said. “The next set of leaders are all gone, and the next set of leaders are mostly gone, and now nobody wants to be a leader over there anymore.”
Later Friday, Trump told reporters that Iran is “from a military standpoint … finished,” but warned that activity in the Strait of Hormuz continues to disrupt global shipping. He called securing the waterway a “simple military maneuver” but said additional support from allies is needed. Trump said it “would be nice” for countries that depend on the strait to contribute more resources.
Several nations signaled support for securing the route following Trump’s call for broader involvement. Countries including the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, and Canada indicated they are prepared to assist in ensuring safe passage through the strait.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical chokepoint connecting the Persian Gulf to the Indian Ocean, with roughly 20% of the world’s oil supply passing through it. Disruptions have slowed commercial traffic and driven up energy prices.
Brent crude rose to approximately $112 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate reached about $97 per barrel. U.S. gas prices have climbed to nearly $4 per gallon on average nationwide.
Iran has responded to the targeting of its energy sector by Israel with strikes on oil and natural gas facilities throughout the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Qatar, according to reports overnight.
Israel carried out a large-scale strike on Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest, on Wednesday, prompting retaliatory actions from Tehran targeting key energy infrastructure across Gulf Arab states.
The developments have raised concerns about global energy markets, as facilities like South Pars — along with the strategically critical Strait of Hormuz — play a major role in determining worldwide prices for oil, gas and other goods. Prices rose early Thursday, and economists warned the disruption could trigger broader economic impacts, including higher costs and potential supply shortages affecting consumers globally, NBC News reported.
Amid growing tensions and concern from U.S. allies in the Gulf and Europe, President Donald Trump said Israel would not carry out additional strikes on the gas field unless Iran launched further attacks on U.S. partner Qatar. Trump added on his Truth Social account that if such an attack occurred, the United States would “massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field.”
President Donald Trump’s White House sent termination notices to several U.S. Attorneys around the country who had been appointed by Democratic President Joe Biden, a move aimed at cracking down on officials who may disobey directives from the new administration.
In the email, the White House’s deputy director for the office of presidential personnel told recipients, “At the direction of President Donald J. Trump, I am writing to inform you that your position as U.S. Attorney is terminated, effective immediately.”
Though it was not immediately apparent that all of them received the White House termination notices, several U.S. attorneys from Seattle to Maryland have resigned from their positions.
Current and former Justice Department attorneys say that although it is common for U.S. Attorneys to resign following a change in the presidential administration, typically the incoming administration requests their resignations rather than sending them tersely worded termination letters.
More than two dozen of Biden’s appointed U.S. Attorneys remained in their positions as of Wednesday. As of Thursday, their offices said at least three were still employed.
There was no response from the White House. Several requests for comment from the U.S. Department of Justice were not answered.
U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath of San Diego, a Biden appointee, was among those fired. Her office reported late Wednesday that she received notification of her termination from the White House, which also thanked McGrath for her service.
Another Biden appointee, U.S. Attorney Erek Barron of Maryland, sent out a farewell email to the entire office shortly after the termination notices were sent, stating that his tenure “has come to an end.”
“It has been an honor to lead such a talented and dedicated team,” Barron wrote, according to a copy of the email seen by Reuters. He confirmed his departure in a post on LinkedIn on Thursday.
According to a statement sent by email, Ismail Ramsey, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California, has also “concluded his leadership” of the position.
According to a spokesperson for her office on Thursday, Seattle-based U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman also resigned at the president’s request. Gorman was initially appointed on an interim basis by now-former U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and then by the judges in the Western District of Washington.
Late Wednesday, Biden-appointed U.S. Attorney Dena King, the top federal prosecutor for the Western District of North Carolina, announced her own resignation.
Earlier on Wednesday, the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate approved three ambassadors appointed by President Trump, stationing them in the United Kingdom, Turkey, and Italy, respectively.
All three new ambassadors, Warren Stephens, Tom Barrack, and Tilman Feritta, are billionaires who generously support Trump and other Republicans. They all garnered a few Democratic votes, as did all Republicans.
On Tuesday morning, the upper house approved Stephens as the new ambassador to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland by a vote of 59-39.
Arkansas GOP Sen. Tom Cotton spoke in favor of Stephens, an investment banker from his home state, describing him as a “family man, businessman, philanthropist, and patriot.”
“He is the right person to lead our strong, special relationship with the United Kingdom,” Cotton said, according to The Hill.
Stephens served as President and CEO of Stephens Inc., a Little Rock-based investment banking business, until January.
According to Federal Election Commission records, Stephens donated $1 million to “Our Principles PAC,” a nonprofit that opposed Trump’s first presidential campaign.
However, he donated to Trump-aligned entities in 2019 and 2020, and in 2024, he gave $3 million to MAGA Inc., the primary Super PAC that supported Trump, according to FEC records.
“Warren has always dreamed of serving the United States full time. I am thrilled that he will now have that opportunity as the top Diplomat, representing the U.S.A. to one of America’s most cherished and beloved Allies,” Trump said in December.
The Senate confirmed Barrack, a private equity executive and longtime Trump ally, in 60-36 vote on Tuesday.