WASHINGTON, March 16 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that he does not think the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran could finish this week, while repeating his earlier claims that the conflict will come to an end "soon."
Asked by a reporter at the White House if the war could end this week, Trump said: "I don't think so. But it'll be soon."
"Won't be long," Trump added. "It'll be wrapped up soon."
The president also said that he will "soon" announce countries that have agreed to join the White House-proposed coalition to escort vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway through which about 20 percent of the world's oil passes.
"There are a couple. We'll be announcing some names soon," he said. "There are some that really were right up front."
However, it appears many U.S. allies have either been noncommittal or have declined to participate.
Trump on Monday repeatedly criticized European allies for their reluctance to answer his call to join the escort.
"The problem with NATO is we'll always be there for them but they'll never be there for us," Trump rehashed.
"Europe has no interest in an open-ended war," Kaja Kallas, the EU's top diplomat, said of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran in Brussels on Monday. "This is not Europe's war, but Europe's interests are directly at stake."
The United States and Israel launched massive attacks on Iran on Feb. 28, disrupting global shipping, sending oil prices soaring and shaking the global economy. ■
