Trump States US Will Conclude Attacks on Iran Within Two to Three Weeks

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the United States will conclude its military campaign against Iran within two to three weeks, while declaring that ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz is not Washington's responsibility — remarks that sent immediate shockwaves through global energy markets and raised urgent alarms across Gulf states whose economies are bound to the strategic waterway.

Speaking to reporters, Trump framed the ongoing US strikes as finite in scope, offering an unusually specific timeline for military operations that have unsettled governments from Doha to Riyadh. The Strait of Hormuz — the narrow passage between the Gulf and the Arabian Sea — carries roughly 20 percent of the world's oil supply and serves as the sole maritime exit for Qatar's vast liquefied natural gas exports, making Trump's comments of immediate consequence for the emirate's energy revenues.

Trump's assertion that securing the strait is "not for us" marks a sharp rhetorical departure from decades of American policy in the region, under which the US Navy has served as the primary guarantor of freedom of navigation through the waterway. The statement raises pressing questions about how Gulf states will protect their energy lifelines should Washington draw down its naval presence following the conclusion of military operations.

The strikes on Iran, which target what US officials have described as nuclear infrastructure and ballistic missile production facilities, have drawn fierce condemnation from Tehran. Iranian officials and Revolutionary Guard commanders have repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in the event of a sustained assault — a scenario economists warn would produce an immediate and severe shock to global oil and gas prices.

For Qatar, the stakes are particularly acute. The country exports more than 77 million tonnes of liquefied natural gas annually, virtually all of which transits the Strait of Hormuz aboard purpose-built tankers destined for markets in Europe and Asia. Any disruption to the passage would directly affect Doha's energy revenues and its ability to fulfill long-term supply contracts with customers who depend on Qatari LNG to replace Russian pipeline gas.

Qatar also hosts Al Udeid Air Base, the largest American military installation in the Middle East, adding a layer of strategic sensitivity to Doha's position as the crisis escalates. The emirate maintains active diplomatic ties with Iran and has historically served as a back-channel interlocutor between Tehran and Western governments, a role that may acquire fresh relevance in the weeks ahead.

Regional governments have largely refrained from public comment on the US campaign, preferring quiet diplomatic engagement. Trump did not specify what conditions would mark the end of military operations or whether any diplomatic overture to Tehran remained on the table.