WASHINGTON, March 31 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he is not ready "quite yet" to withdraw U.S. military support from efforts to force Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global oil and fuel flows, while urging allies to take on a greater role.
Trump said this during a phone interview with CBS News, reiterating his frustration that key U.S. allies like Britain had refused to take part in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. "Countries have to come in and take care of it," he said.
Trump repeatedly downplayed risks in the crucial global energy waterway, arguing there was "no real threat," despite ongoing retaliatory Iranian strikes across the region. He also sharply criticized North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) allies, saying countries seeking oil supplies should "come up and grab it" themselves.
During the phone interview with CBS News, Trump also declined to say whether Washington could declare victory without eliminating Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium. "I don't even think about it," said Trump, noting that the uranium "is so deeply buried it's gonna be very hard for anybody."
The remarks appear to undercut Trump's earlier justification for the military campaign against Iran, which he framed as addressing an "imminent threat" from Iran's nuclear program, raising questions about the consistency of U.S. war aims.
Asked when the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran may end, Trump just said, "It won't be long," insisting that the U.S. military operations "are two weeks ahead of schedule." He had initially said the war would last four to six weeks after it began on Feb. 28. It is now entering its fifth week.
The U.S. national average gasoline price rose above 4 U.S. dollars per gallon on Tuesday for the first time in more than three years, the American Automobile Association said. ■