By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON, March 9 (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump thinks the war against Iran “is very complete” and that Washington was “very far ahead” of his initial four to five week estimated time frame, according to a CBS News interview with him.
“I think the war is very complete, pretty much. They have no navy, no communications, they’ve got no Air Force,” Trump told CBS News.
When asked about the Strait of Hormuz, Trump said that ships are moving through now, but he is “thinking about taking it over.”
The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s key oil transit chokepoints, carrying roughly a fifth of global oil and liquefied natural gas flows. The war has left the critical shipping passageway all but shut.
The United States and Israel began attacking Iran on February 28 and Iran responded with its own strikes against Israel and Gulf states with U.S. bases.
Trump has thus far offered shifting objectives and timelines for the war that has killed scores in Iran, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Trump told CBS News the U.S. is “very far” ahead of his initial 4-5 week estimated time frame for the war.
On Iran’s new Supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who is the son of the slain supreme leader, Trump told CBS News: “I have no message for him.” Trump said he has someone in mind to lead Iran, but did not elaborate.
Trump has previously said he wants to have a say in determining Iran’s leader, which Tehran has rejected.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Daphne Psaledakis and Michelle Nichols )
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