Trump’s Special Envoy To The Middle East Has No Idea How Or When War With Iran Will End: ‘i Don’t Know’

Despite President Donald Trump's insistence that his warfare successful Iran will soon beryllium complete, nan commander-in-chief's special envoy to nan Middle East says he doesn't cognize really aliases erstwhile nan conflict will end.

Steve Witkoff and Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, were successful negotiations pinch Iranian officials concerning its atomic programme erstwhile nan president and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a joint onslaught connected Iran.

At slightest 1,230 group successful Iran person been killed successful nan conflict, according to the Associated Press. At slightest seven U.S. work members person besides died.

During an section of CNBC's Squawk connected nan Street, Witkoff was questioned by big Sara Eisen Tuesday astir really nan warfare will end.

"So, really do you spot this ending, this war?" she asked.

Witkoff replied, "I don't know, Sara."

“I cognize this, that President Trump is nan incorrect feline to spell up against. That’s what I know. He has drawn a reddish line, and that is that Iran cannot person a [nuclear] weapon," he said. "And yes, they opportunity they don’t. They don’t want one. But each of their actions bespeak nan nonstop opposite. So, he’s conscionable not nan correct feline to tangle with, and I would propose they don’t.”

The Trump management and Netanyahu person justified nan warfare by insisting that Iran was connected nan verge of processing a atomic weapon, contempt Trump saying past twelvemonth that Iran's atomic programme had been "completely obliterated" by his airstrikes astatine nan time.

Messaging from Trump officials has been inconsistent regarding nan authorities of nan war. Witkoff says he doesn't cognize really aliases erstwhile nan warfare will end. Trump told CBS News connected Monday that it is "very complete, beautiful much."

Around nan aforesaid clip he made that comment, nan Defense Department's accelerated consequence societal media page posted a connection saying "We Have Only Just Begun to Fight," which appeared to contradict Trump's declare that nan warfare was astir over.

When pressed by ABC News for explanation Monday, Trump said nan warfare was some complete but besides not over.

"Well, I deliberation you tin opportunity both. The opening — it's nan opening of building a caller country, but they certainly, they person nary navy, they person nary aerial force, they person nary anti-aircraft equipment," Trump said. "We could telephone it a tremendous occurrence correct now. As we time off here, I could telephone it. Or we could spell further and we're going to spell further."

Little changed connected Tuesday erstwhile Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth faced reporters. Hegseth refused to springiness thing resembling a timeline for nan war.

He said that nan U.S. would extremity nan warfare successful Iran "on our timeline" and "at our choosing."

Hegseth added that nan "president has group a very circumstantial ngo to accomplish, and our occupation is to unrelentingly present that," earlier saying that yet Trump will find erstwhile nan warfare ends.

"Now he gets to power nan throttle. He's nan 1 deciding. He's nan 1 elected connected behalf of nan American group erstwhile we're achieving those objectives. And so, it's not for maine to posit whether it's nan beginning, nan mediate aliases nan end. That's his," Hegseth said. "And he'll proceed to pass that."

The "very complete" warfare appeared to escalate connected Tuesday arsenic nan U.S. subject claimed it destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying ships operating successful nan Strait of Hormuz, according to U.S. Central Command.

Trump threatened Iran pinch unprecedented "military consequences" successful a Truth Social station connected Tuesday successful consequence to nan mine-laying ships.

"If Iran has put retired immoderate mines successful nan Hormuz Strait, and we person nary reports of them doing so, we want them removed, IMMEDIATELY! If for immoderate logic mines were placed, and they are not removed forthwith, nan Military consequences to Iran will beryllium astatine a level ne'er seen before," Trump wrote connected Truth Social. "If, connected nan different hand, they region what whitethorn person been placed, it will beryllium a elephantine measurement successful nan correct direction!"

He said that immoderate vessel believed to beryllium placing mines successful nan strait will beryllium "dealt pinch quickly and violently."

If nan warfare is ending soon, neither Trump nor Iran's Supreme National Security Council messaging reflects that outcome.

On Tuesday, Secretary Ali Larijani offered a thinly cloaked threat to Trump aft nan president promised a convulsive subject consequence if Iran tried to unopen down nan Strait of Hormuz.

“The sacrificial federation of Iran doesn’t fearfulness your quiet threats,” Larijani wrote. “Even those bigger than you couldn’t destruct Iran. Be observant not to get eliminated yourself.”