Trump says US will be leaving Iran operation 'in very near future'

United States (US) President Donald Trump on Tuesday said the US would withdraw from its military operation in Iran in the “very near future”, even as he made it clear that an immediate exit was not on the cards.

Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump stated that Washington was “not ready to leave” at present but added “We will be leaving in pretty much the very near future.”

Trump further said he was not concerned about the possibility of a prolonged ground conflict. “I am really not afraid of that,” he said. “I am really not afraid of anything.”

His remarks came as the administration considered potential moves that could involve ground operations, including taking control of Kharg Island, a key Iranian oil export hub, and the underground nuclear storage facility at Isfahan, which holds a large quantity of near-bomb-grade material.

Trump also asserted that US actions had dismantled Iran’s military infrastructure and reduced the nuclear threat.

“We have wiped out their navy, wiped out their military in every aspect,” he said. “Everything is gone.”

He also said Iran could have developed a nuclear weapon “within one month” before US strikes targeted three nuclear enrichment sites last June. However, intelligence assessments had indicated that while enrichment could accelerate, building a functional weapon would take longer.

He was a weak guy: Trump on Kent’s resignation

Trump also criticised Joseph Kent, the director of the US' National Counterterrorism Centre, who resigned over the conflict. Kent earlier on Tuesday said in a post on X that “Iran did not pose a threat” to the US, and the it was pressured by Israel into the conflict.

“I always thought he was weak on security. They have been a threat for a long time,” Trump said about Kent after the latter posted his resignation.

Trump also rejected Kent's claims that Israel had influenced his decision to launch the operation, describing the country as “a partner”.

“I was against Iran long before I even thought about Israel being against Iran,” he said.

Trump says the killer of thousands of people, Ali Larijani, was killed

Referring to the reported killing of a senior Iranian official, Trump said, “The man who was responsible for the killing of 32,000 people last week” had been killed on Monday, in an apparent reference to Ali Larijani. Israel said he was killed in an overnight strike.

‘I am very disappointed in Nato’: Trump

Trump also questioned the role of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) during the operation and said the US had carried a disproportionate burden.

“We spent trillions of dollars on Nato,” he said, adding that “when they do not help, it is something we should think about.” He did not outline any specific action against the alliance but said, “I am not happy about it.”

He also indicated that the United States could act independently in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

“We do not need too much help, we do not need any help actually,” he said during a meeting with the Irish prime minister, calling the situation a “great test” for Nato and warning that the US would take note of its response.

Earlier in the day, Trump, in a post on Truth Social, reacted to several Nato allies declining his invitation to participate in the operation.

“The United States has been informed by most of our Nato ‘allies’ that they do not want to get involved with our military operation against the terrorist regime of Iran,” he said, adding that many countries supported preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

He described Nato as “a one-way street” and said the US had borne the cost of protecting other nations.

“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s military; their navy is gone, their air force is gone, their anti-aircraft and radar are gone and, perhaps most importantly, their leaders, at virtually every level, are gone,” he said.

Trump added that the US did not require assistance from NATO or other allies. “We do not need the help of anyone,” he said.