US President Donald Trump said the ongoing war involving Iran could end “any time”, claiming there is “practically nothing left” for American forces to target, even as the conflict widened across the Middle East with missile strikes, shipping attacks and rising civilian casualties.
Speaking to the media, Trump suggested the conflict could be brought to a close quickly if Washington chose to do so. “Little this and that… Any time I want it to end, it will end,” he said, adding that Iran had little remaining military infrastructure to strike.
The remarks came on the 12th day of the war between Iran and the US-Israel alliance, which has triggered one of the most volatile crises in West Asia in recent years. Iranian authorities said thousands of sites across the country had been struck during the campaign.
Despite Trump’s suggestion that the war may be nearing its end, fighting continued across the region on Wednesday with both sides intensifying attacks.
Gujarat-bound ship hit
The conflict spread into international shipping lanes as multiple commercial vessels were struck by projectiles in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy corridors.
Among the ships hit was a Thai-flagged cargo vessel, the Mayuree Naree, on its way to Gujarat, which was damaged by a strike, while sailing near Oman on Wednesday. Most of the crew were rescued after the vessel caught fire following the attack.
The incidents underscore growing fears that the war could disrupt global energy supply. Nearly a fifth of the world’s oil passes through the narrow Hormuz channel, and threats to shipping have already triggered volatility in energy markets.
Iran has warned that vessels linked to the United States, Israel or their allies could be treated as legitimate targets, raising concerns that the conflict may increasingly affect international trade routes and commercial shipping.
Air and missile strikes have continued across several theatres of the conflict, including Iran, Israel and parts of Lebanon. Iranian drones and missiles have targeted installations and cities across the Gulf region, while Israeli and US forces have intensified attacks on Iranian military infrastructure.
Israel bombards Lebanon
Israeli strikes continued across Lebanon, setting a residential building ablaze in Beirut’s densely populated Aicha Bakkar district, where the top two floors were engulfed in flames. No casualties were immediately reported from the Beirut strike, but other Israeli attacks in southern and eastern Lebanon killed at least 14 people. A Red Cross worker also died from wounds sustained on Monday when his rescue team was hit during an earlier strike.
More than 500 people have been killed in Lebanon since Hezbollah entered the conflict following US-Israeli attacks on Iran. Israel also reported three Iranian missile alerts early Wednesday, with sirens sounding in Tel Aviv, though no casualties were reported. Saudi Arabia said it intercepted six ballistic missiles aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base and shot down two drones near Hafar al-Batin.
Casualties have mounted on multiple fronts, with reports suggesting that more than a thousand people have been killed since hostilities erupted, alongside widespread damage to infrastructure and civilian areas.
Also read: 140 US troops injured, 8 severely, so far in Iran war: Pentagon
Spreme Leader Mojtaba 'injured'
Speculation has also grown over the condition of Iran’s newly appointed Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, after reports suggested he may have been injured in recent Israeli strikes. The 56-year-old cleric, who assumed the position earlier this week after the death of his father Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in an Israeli airstrike at the start of the conflict, has not appeared publicly since taking office, fuelling uncertainty over the leadership situation in Tehran amid the intensifying war.
The widening conflict has also prompted emergency measures from governments worldwide. The International Energy Agency announced the release of hundreds of millions of barrels of oil from strategic reserves in an attempt to stabilise global markets rattled by supply fears.
While Trump suggested the war could end soon, officials in Israel struck a more cautious tone, indicating that operations would continue until strategic objectives against Iran’s military capabilities were achieved.
Diplomatic efforts to halt the fighting remain limited, with global powers urging restraint but no immediate ceasefire framework emerging.
For now, the war shows little sign of slowing on the ground, even as Washington signals that its military campaign may be approaching its final phase.
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